Wilfully Misunderstood
by Isabelle Lowe
Summary: Mr Darcy is not able to see Elizabeth on the evening that she does not go to dinner at Rosings and as a result the disastrous Hunsford proposal never takes place. The next day when hoping to meet her on her morning walk he instead overhears a conversation with Charlotte which leads him to rethink his approach...
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! Welcome to my variation on P &P, Wilfully Misunderstood. The premise is that Mr Darcy is unable to see Elizabeth and make his disastrous first proposal the evening at Hunsford and following that he overhears a conversation between her and Charlotte which causes him to rethink his approach.  
** **I plan to post a chapter each week on Saturday or Sunday and in total there are roughly thirty chapters (around 80k words).  
** **I would massively appreciate it if you could point out any mistakes you notice to me in a review or PM so that I can fix them and I'd also love it if you could tell me anything you think I'm doing well or badly as this is my first Fanfiction attempt.  
** **I took the title from one of my favourite P &P lines:**

'There is, I believe, in every disposition a tendency to some particular evil, a natural defect, which not even the best education can overcome.'  
'And _your_ defect is a propensity to hate everybody.'  
'And yours,' he replied with a smile, 'is wilfully to misunderstand them.' - Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 10

 **Without further ado, enjoy! :)**

* * *

Miss Elizabeth Bennet was not there. This point immediately became clear to Mr Darcy as he observed the Hunsford party's arrival. He watched from a window - of which the reader can be assured there were several, all particularly finely glazed - as the trio marched up the grand driveway towards Rosings house.

Mr Collins appeared to be engaged in one of his usual flamboyant speeches, arms gesturing wildly to emphasise his meaning. Mrs Collins merely nodded, agreeing calmly with her husband. If she did happen to roll her eyes or shrug her shoulders at any of his more ridiculous exclamations, then it was done discreetly. Materially it was a good match, Darcy observed as he watched them. Intellectually ... well, it was not his place to comment.

The younger Lucas girl was hanging off Mr Collins's every word in the same wide-eyed silence that Rosings always inflicted upon her. Darcy had barely heard a word from her throughout his stay and would have suspected her to be mute were it not for the few syllables she mumbled in their perfunctory greetings and farewells. In this, she was the polar opposite of Miss Elizabeth who would rarely go a minute without uttering one of her characteristic witticisms which had first captured his interest.

Indeed, Miss Elizabeth's lively conversation was the only thing that could make evenings at Rosings more bearable to him, so much so that he had extended his stay there beyond its usual length. This time with her was his little indulgence, as in reality her connections were far too low to make her a viable marriage partner for him and even had this not been the case the objections to her family's behaviour were far too large an obstacle to overcome.

The guests soon reached the house and were announced by a footman in fine livery as they entered the parlour. Greetings were exchanged, and Mr Collins was quick to explain Miss Elizabeth's absence from the group, for he feared that it must offend his noble patroness.

'I must apologise for my cousin your ladyship, she has a headache and did not feel well enough to accompany us tonight.' The peculiar gentleman announced in a tone which suggested that she was entirely at fault for being indisposed.

'I met her on my tour of the park this morning and she was not feeling well then.' Colonel Fitzwilliam observed with concern. 'I do hope it is just a passing complaint and she is recovered by the morning. It would be an awful shame if we had to return to town without taking our leave of her, for I have enjoyed her company immensely.'

'Oh, I am sure she has merely overexerted herself gallivanting around the countryside-' Collins began, eager to be critical of the headstrong lady who had refused his proposal and damaged his pride.

'Yes, yes,' Lady Catherine cut him off, 'Miss Bennet is a rather pretty little thing, but she really should spend less time out of doors. Such an adventurous nature is not at all attractive in a lady and she is unlikely to find a husband if she continues so. The most desirable characteristic of a wife is to be primarily concerned with the _inside_ of one's home, is that not so, Darcy?'

Darcy wore his usual solemn expression and did not deign to respond. He and Colonel Fitzwilliam could only blush at their Aunt's undignified commentary, each silently thinking that Miss Bennet's adventurous nature was very attractive indeed.

After this exchange, Darcy waited only the bare minimum of time that politeness demanded before making his excuses and rushing away in the direction of the Hunsford Parsonage. He was in equal parts desperate to ensure that his dearest Miss Elizabeth was not seriously indisposed and to escape his Aunt's criticisms of the lady in question.

It was by chance estate business which he cited to draw him away, a lucky coincidence for a man as violently in love as he could have conjured the most strange and ridiculous story in such a situation, his haste to depart being such that he was unaware of his own words.

This violent love was also the culprit in his failing to consider the fact that had Elizabeth's condition been severe her dear friend Mrs Collins would undoubtedly have stayed to comfort and tend to her (though it is unlikely that Mr Collins would have foregone his trip to Rosings even if she had been at death's door).

Neither had he considered how he would explain his presence to the lady upon gaining her company. Indeed, he had worked himself into such a state that he may have confessed his feelings and proposed marriage to her on the spot, but as it happens, such a scenario never took place.

Having rushed away from Rosings in the direction of the parsonage, startling several gardeners as he went, Mr Darcy was politely informed upon his arrival that Miss Elizabeth was resting and was not to be disturbed. No - the doctor had not been sent for and no - she did not appear to be seriously ill. These were to be the most details he got from the startled servant.

The servant in question, a young woman by the name of Molly, particularly liked Miss Elizabeth and knowing of her dislike of Mr Darcy had deliberately turned him away so as not to cause her any distress - although of course, Mr Darcy was not aware of this.

The gentleman strode away from the humble parsonage, dissatisfied for not having seen the object of his affections but relieved that he had avoided the following task of explaining himself. As he left the garden he turned to glance back and fooled himself that the corner of a curtain had twitched.

Was that Miss Elizabeth? What would she think as she watched him? Would she be pleased to see that he had visited? He felt certain that she would, for she had always responded so pleasantly to his addresses in her teasing and engaging manner and though he had tried not to raise her hopes, surely she could not doubt his regard for her.

Perhaps she would be embarrassed at being taken ill, for she was so strong-willed and independent that she must hate her vulnerability. Yes, that sounded like his Elizabeth.

Satisfied by his musings, Darcy realised that he could not immediately return to Rosings without arousing suspicion. In any case, he did not particularly wish to return and dine with his Aunt or her rector. They each had a tendency towards the ridiculous and after his lengthy visit he was glad that his time with his Aunt and Mr Collins was soon to be over, even if it would separate him from Miss Elizabeth again.

With this in mind, he followed a path through to the side of the estate and walked the groves surrounding the park. Out here, away from the gaudy furnishings that his Aunt had added, Rosings was indeed beautiful. It could not match Pemberley, but it offered a landscape that was very different and splendid in its own right.

At times like these, he could see the merits in Lady Catherine's idea of uniting the two great estates. The wealth and power that it would bring were undeniable and it would ensure that the Darcy name lived on in history for centuries to come...

But no, it was not to be. Cousin Anne was far too fragile to provide him with an heir. If he married her then the Darcy line would end. Besides, he firmly believed that an estate of this size deserved a dedicated master, not one who would be constantly distracted by the needs of another estate.

He told himself that these were his primary reasons for resisting his Aunt's efforts to secure his union with Anne. It was most definitely _not_ because of his desire for a certain fine-eyed beauty from Hertfordshire.

Elizabeth.

She seemed to be constantly with him, haunting his every thought since the ball at Netherfield where she had been so tantalisingly beautiful yet so far from his reach. After enduring so many heart aching months without her he could only imagine a future where she was not by his side as being dull and empty. In just a few days he would return to town and then she would be out of reach again, perhaps forever.

Out of sight, out of mind, they say. If only it was so easy. Every effort that he had made to forget her seemed only to have made her dearer to him. _In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed._ He thought sadly, realising that he would be doomed to a lifetime of trying to forget her. He would never be able to feel the same way about another, never marry or have children...

Suddenly a thought dawned on him. If his love for her would prevent him from marrying any other, then was it not better to marry her and produce an heir than never to marry at all? After all, she was the daughter of a gentleman even though her family's income was nothing compared to his own.

Many members of society would object more to him forming a union with someone whose wealth came from trade such as Miss Bingley than a woman such as Miss Elizabeth living in genteel poverty. Her connections, though not ideal, could be dealt with and they would be settled far enough from her family to make visits a rarity, sparing him for the most part from the vulgar matriarch and younger sisters.

Wandering through a leafy grove where he had happened upon Miss Elizabeth just a few days earlier, Darcy's thoughts turned again to how utterly divine she was. All the years of waiting and resisting, going against the demands of the ton and his family, they would be worth it for this.

For _her_.

An impertinent country nobody with a ridiculous family and relations in trade. But her voice echoed in his head, whispering teasing comments in her arch manner, bringing a new meaning to every word she spoke. Perhaps he had lost his mind, but this madness was sweet indeed.

Realising that the hour had grown rather late while he strolled in contemplation, Darcy set off purposefully back towards the great house, hoping that he could avoid having to speak to his aunt when he returned. Luckily the Hunsford party had left early, eager as Mrs Collins was to ensure that her friend was alright, so when he arrived back at the house he would not be expected to join them.

'Darcy? Where on earth have you been?' Colonel Fitzwilliam exclaimed as the two met in the entrance hall. Before his cousin could reply he continued in a lower tone: 'And don't you dare say estate work to me. I know you have been hiding so that you don't have to endure our delightful extended family. Well, you could have warned me in advance so that I could escape as too, a whole evening and with only the Collinses and Miss Lucas! You could at least have chosen an evening when Miss Bennet was present to converse with me. The only voices I seem to have heard all evening are our Aunt's and Mr Collins's and he only speaks to agree with the former. You owe me for this one old man; I've had everything from my hair to my shoes insulted tonight!'

But Darcy was in too good a mood to be unduly affected by his cousin's speech and just grinned at his protests.  
'You are in the army, aren't you? It's good practice for your diplomacy skills.' He quipped.

'Well, the French have never tried to insult me to death!' Richard replied in exasperation.

'Ah, but if it were possible Aunt Catherine would be the pride of the Forces.' Darcy told him. 'Now stand aside; I have business to attend to.' And with that he took the stairs two at a time, striding out of view before his Aunt could summon him to her side. He had endured enough of her conversation for this visit. Wisely, Colonel Fitzwilliam chose to do the same.

Once in the safety of his rooms, Darcy finally realised his hunger and rang for supper to be brought to him. At the time he had not even noticed missing dinner but now he was ravenous. Complete inattention to one's own basic needs must surely be a symptom of the deepest love.

As he ate he contemplated everything he would have to do the next morning. There would so many arrangements to be made once he and Elizabeth were engaged!

But of course, they must first _become_ engaged. This thought caused him an unfamiliar feeling of nervousness. It was not that he thought she would not welcome his approach, but he couldn't very well burst into the parsonage in the morning and get down on one knee in front of everyone, ridiculous cousin and all.

Naturally, he would also have to reassure her that while her family and situation were not ideal being as they were so decidedly beneath his own, he had taken all this into consideration and would not hold it against her...

Oh, her beauty! Her wit! He could contemplate it all night. But how was he supposed to say it? While she was certainly all that was charming, polite and teasing, he seemed to completely lose all form of coherent thought around her. Perhaps he would write her a letter. His words always flowed more easily on paper.

No! His cousin's voice suddenly rang in his head, teasing his reliance on his pen.

 _'Honestly, Darcy, if a man could stop the war with a letter it would be you! Old Bonaparte would die before he finished the first page out of pure shock from the quantity of four syllable words, and if that didn't get him then the old age would after the 24th side.' The Colonel threw his head back and laughed while a younger, less confident Bingley looked on in awe that he dared to speak to Darcy (who he absolutely worshipped) in such a way._

At the time he had not fully appreciated Richard's meaning and, in all honesty, had mostly been ignoring him since he was well past his fourth glass of brandy, but now he thought he understood. Many things can be conducted perfectly adequately by letter, but, just like war, a proposal of marriage is not one of them.

Of course, it may be wrong to assume that the Colonel's words did have any sort of deep meaning as after that moment Darcy's memories faded into a fuzzy recollection of his cousin pulling out his sword and slicing a quill to pieces, something about proving the sword truly was mightier than the pen. He was unsure if that had just been an alcohol induced dream.

Be that as it may, he was sure that a letter was not the way to do it, meaning he would have to find some way to catch Miss Elizabeth alone. In recent weeks he had taken to joining her on her morning walks. Such a rendezvous between an unmarried man and woman if planned was not strictly proper but as both parties were fond of exercise and residing in close proximity to each other an accidental meeting every now and then was easily explainable.

He remembered fondly the first time that he had happened upon her. Although he would never admit it, he had been wandering further than was his usual wont in the corners of the great park in the hope that Elizabeth's adventurous nature would lead her to the more secluded groves.

His efforts were rewarded on his second or third attempt and as they walked together she delicately informed him that this was one of her favourite haunts. Surely this was a sign that she welcomed his company and wished for him to join her again.

He did so, many times, and relished the private moments that this gave him to admire her beauty and strength of mind as she jumped from daintily picking a flower in one second to intelligently discussing the state of the war in the next. She was a force of nature just as surely as the sun or the wind, so surely there could be no better a place to offer for her than surrounded by the beautiful scenery of the park.

He would leave nothing to chance, though. Rather than hoping she walked the usual way, he would set out earlier and wait for her near the Hunsford parsonage. After all, he was due to leave Rosings in the early morning two days hence so tomorrow would be his last chance. He did not want to miss it. Who knew when he would next meet her if he did?

Searching in the back of the drawer where he knew he had stowed it, Darcy pulled out his Grandmother's engagement ring. It was not as valuable or ostentatious as some, but he was sure that its subtlety would be far more to Elizabeth's tastes than the other more extravagant rings in the Darcy collection.

He had taken to carrying it on his return to London when he was first mourning the relationship with her that he could never have. At the time he had resolved that he must never return to Hertfordshire again. If he did not have to meet her then maybe he could forget how she had made him feel.

Upon hearing of her presence at Rosings there had been a horrendous moment where he thought she was the new Mrs Collins, followed by a burst of joy as he was informed that she was only visiting her newly married friend. The relief he felt then had weakened his resolve that she could never be his as he had been forced to consider the agonising pain that it would cause him if she married another man.

This was followed by jealousy as he watched his charming cousin entertain her while his Aunt demanded his attention and kept him from her side, but through it all there had been her teasing comments, references to the time they had spent in Hertfordshire, directed only at him. The wait would soon be over. In the morning she would be his.

* * *

 **I have now edited this chapter to correct the grammar and shorten the paragraphs as pointed out in reviews so hopefully it reads more clearly. Please do point out anything else you notice! :)**

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again! Thank you so much for the amazing response to chapter 1. I can hardly believe that so many people have followed and favourited this story already. I'm also so grateful to anyone who pointed out the spelling/grammar/historical accuracy errors I made in a review or pm, I think they are all fixed now :).  
To reviewers who mentioned that they found my paragraphs too long, I have broken up several of the long paragraphs in chapter 1 so hopefully it is easier to read than it was before. Something I struggle with is that where there are chunks of dialogue I always feel like it is necessary to keep them in one paragraph, I don't know what anyone else's view on this is but feel free to comment suggestions. I have split this chapter into shorter paragraphs than it was in my draft, but there is quite a bit of dialogue so some are still some pretty long ones - sorry.  
Once again, thank you so much for reading and please continue to point out any mistakes I make in the reviews. Enjoy!  
**

* * *

Her distress of the previous day caused Elizabeth to sleep later than was her usual wont and by the time she woke the rest of the household were already up and about. Hearing her stir, Mrs Collins knocked gently on the door of her room and - upon hearing a sleepy voice reply enter - slipped inside. Although she tried not to show it, having her normally healthy friend in such obvious distress had worried her exceedingly. She would much rather have stayed at home to comfort her and if it had not been for her husband's insistence that their noble patroness could not possibly do without her for a whole evening then she would have done, but as it was Lady Catherine must always come first.

It was the lot that Charlotte had chosen in life and though she may miss some of her old freedoms at times she could not find it within herself to regret her marriage. After all, she was the mistress of her own house, a help to those around her rather than a burden, and most importantly the children she would one day teach to sew and dance would be her own. Though not an overly intelligent or considerate man, her husband relied on her, was kind to her and even respected her wishes more often than not ( _not_ being the instances in which his noble patroness was concerned). No, Charlotte Collins did not regret her marriage at all.

Charlotte could see that Jane's misfortune had been weighing heavily on her dear friend and sensed that she was troubled by more than a headache. She wished that Elizabeth would share her thoughts with her as she had done in the past, but knew that it was unlikely that they could ever return to the way things had been before her marriage. Lizzy's fierce independence and dislike of Mr Collins would make her likely to hold back, feeling that Charlotte's vows to honour and obey him meant she was no longer a trustworthy confidant. Of course, Charlotte had easily taken her husband in hand soon after their marriage and thought herself well able to keep her private affairs from him, but Elizabeth had yet to accept this.

'Are you feeling much recovered this morning?' She inquired softly.

'Yes, much better thank you.' Lizzy smiled as she brushed her hair out of its nighttime braid and carefully arranged it. She had already donned her usual walking dress and boots, which reassured her friend. 'Did you need something?'

For a second Charlotte considered leaving her friend in peace, but their time together was dwindling and this was something she felt must be discussed, so she overcame her apprehension and spoke.

'Mr Darcy called yesterday evening to inquire after you, Eliza.'

'I know,' Lizzy admitted, 'or at least I was aware that he had called, for I observed him from the window but could not comprehend what on earth his purpose could be. What could that hateful man want inquiring after me when he has made his dislike for me so obvious? I can only think that even he finds the company at Rosings insufferable and so sought the only means of escape he could find.' She sighed in frustration, hands balled into fists on the dresser in front of her.

In the mirror behind her, Charlotte smiled wistfully, not for the first time missing the life she had left behind in Meryton. She had almost forgotten the extent of Elizabeth's stubborn nature. Almost, but not quite.

'I doubt very much that escape was his motive Eliza, for he did not say that he was leaving to inquire after you at all but mentioned some estate business.'

'Then perhaps it brought him close to the parsonage for other reasons and he thought it would be rude not to call while he was close by. Maybe he even sought to punish me for daring to forgo dinner at Rosings by imposing his company upon me. You can never tell with these men of great personage!' She widened her eyes and arched her eyebrows for effect.

'Do be sensible Eliza,' Charlotte shook her head at her friend's nonsensical answer, 'Mr Darcy came here solely for the purpose of inquiring after you and you cannot escape that. I will have no more of your ridiculous protests that he looks at you to criticise. You know just as well as I do that a man does not gaze at a woman in order to find fault, certainly not as intensely as Mr Darcy looks at you!'

Charlotte was continually amazed that her friend seemed so genuinely perplexed by Mr Darcy's attention. For all her intelligence Elizabeth had very little self-awareness in matters of the heart, for here she had both Mr Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam falling at her feet and yet she was entirely oblivious. Tired of her friend's theories, Elizabeth tried a different method of rebuttal.

'Dear Charlotte, you are a good friend to be always looking out for me so. But I cannot believe that Mr Darcy has any interest in me, his pride surely would not allow it. Still, I suppose I should thank you, for you are quite as intent as my mother is in trying to marry me off. And to a man of ten thousand a year no less; even Mama has not reached that high for me! I think you grossly overestimate my prospects. After all, we know he early withstood my beauty and I have very little else to recommend me. Now, I have been indoors for too long and I wish for some fresh air. I believe I shall go for a walk.'

Charlotte almost laughed at her friend's self-evaluation. If Elizabeth thought her only attraction to a gentleman of intelligence was beauty then she was grossly mistaken.

'What an excellent idea.' Charlotte replied promptly. 'It is wonderful weather; I believe I shall join you.' She flashed a smile at her friend, knowing that this was not what had been in Elizabeth's mind at all. This conversation was far from over.

'Oh, very well,' Elizabeth sighed, 'At least we shall be outside where we have only the birds in the trees to overhear us. Walls have ears after all.' Charlotte merely ignored her friend's ramblings, ushering her out of the door and down the staircase towards the sunshine outside. As they passed the linen storage closet she thought she heard a scuffling sound but dismissed it. She could ask the maid to check it later - perhaps they had rats.

Mrs Collins needn't have worried, or at least not for the reason that she did, for there were no rats. However, she was perhaps wrong to have dismissed Elizabeth's ramblings so easily for just a few minutes earlier, while walking along the landing of his humble abode and considering what an excellent parson, husband and man of the community he was as he often did in his spare time, Mr Collins had happened to notice his wife entering the room of his headstrong cousin. Thinking that he ought to wait for the two to emerge so that he could advise his cousin how selfish she had been to deprive Lady Catherine and her party of her company by taking ill, he positioned himself just outside. A man of the cloth would never reduce himself to listening behind doors, but it just so happened that from his place he could hear their conversation clearly. As his wife and cousin, he had a right to know their business anyway, so he did not see fit to inconvenience himself by moving out of earshot.

He was not surprised to overhear that Mr Darcy had called at the parsonage the previous evening - such gracious manners were only to be expected from a gentleman of such noble breeding and countenance. What did surprise him was his wilful cousin's rude response. How dare she speak of his noble patroness and her illustrious nephew so? This was yet another behaviour he would have to correct in her! What a relief that he had escaped the burden of marriage to her, for she would surely have given insult and offence to all he valued whereas his dear Charlotte - despite her inferior looks - had brought peace, obedience and harmony.

Following this, he almost fell over in shock when his wife announced that Mr Darcy admired his foolish cousin. It could not be. What could such a fine man want with such an uncouth lady? His Charlotte did have a point though; Mr Darcy did look at Cousin Eliza a great deal and men certainly did not _tend_ to gaze at ladies in order to criticise.

So wrapped up in these thoughts was he that he almost missed the end of their conversation and panicked when he heard footsteps approaching the door. After all that he had heard he could not remain and scold his cousin as he had planned; this new intelligence would require thinking on. Looking around desperately for a means of escape, he dove into a small side room which was mostly used to store the linen and pulled the door closed. His wife and cousin walked past, none the wiser to his presence, and he breathed out a sigh of relief. Luckily much of the spare linen was currently in use or being laundered due to the presence of his cousin and sister in law else he probably would not have been able to fit.

Mr Collins let his body sag back against the shelves, wondering what the best course of action in regards to what he had overheard would be. At that moment the maid opened the door and almost screamed at the sight of her master inside, interrupting his musings.

'I am examining the amount of storage room that we have available.' Mr Collins told her decisively, thinking up an excuse quickly. 'Lady Catherine is very particular about these things you know.'

'Yes, of course, sir. I am so sorry to have disturbed you.' The frightened young maid replied, feeling certain as she scurried away from her master that he had suffered some sort of mental breakdown. Being rather alarmed by this strange behaviour she immediately related the event to the older housekeeper. The other woman only nodded in resignation and told her that it was nothing out of the ordinary, having come to expect this kind of eccentric behaviour from her master when it came to the demands of his noble patroness.

Meanwhile, now ensconced in the safety of his private study, Mr Collins sat back to contemplate this conundrum. Loyalty to his patroness dictated that he must inform her of this threat to her plans for her daughter's marriage. In order to cultivate favour, it was important to ensure that complete openness existed on his part. Furthermore, such a report which she was unlikely to hear of from any other quarter could only remind the great lady what a valuable asset he was to her.

However, he also very much doubted that this would be in his best interests while his cousin still resided with him as he could be blamed for being the means by which the two came together. If he waited some time before actually informing Lady Catherine then he would be able to pass it off as a rumour he had heard in some correspondence, making him entirely faultless and still allowing him to prove his worth to her as long as she had not heard the report from another source first.

Better still, if he waited for some time before making the report then an engagement might actually occur. Just thinking of all the influence that cousin Elizabeth could wield as Mrs Darcy, an influence that by relation must also pass to him, gave him a thrill of excitement. For all his loyalty to his patroness, he did not delude himself that she actually held any sway over her nephew and he was relatively sure that if she attempted to end any affection the gentleman felt for Cousin Elizabeth then it would only strengthen. Yes, it would be far better to wait for the correct opportunity to pass along _this_ piece of news. If he played his cards right then he could satisfy his duty to Lady Catherine and curry her favour as well as potentially gaining Mr Darcy as a cousin.

* * *

 **Sorry that this chapter is a bit shorter than the first, the next one will be more than double the number of words but I think that dividing them at this point rather than making two chapter of equal length makes the most sense in terms of plot. I'm trying to be strict with myself and only upload a chapter once a week so I have plenty of time for editing the rest, so they should always go up on Saturdays or Sundays. In chapter 3 we will be back to Darcy and he's in for a shock...**

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again. Some of you may already have noticed that this is a very long chapter. All I can say is it involves a lengthy conversation which it wouldn't have made sense to split in two.**  
 **Thanks to everyone who followed, favourited and reviewed after ch2. Once again the reviews helped me to sort out some details which weren't quite right. I actually ended up adding a few extra paragraphs to clear up any confusion about what Mr Collins was thinking, so hopefully that makes more sense now. Please carry on pointing out any problems in this chapter - I've spent a long time going over it but will undoubtedly still have missed things.**  
 **In this one Mr Darcy's hopes are going to be well and truly crushed, which I believe is what some people have been waiting for. Enjoy! :)**

* * *

Close by but in a far more opulent chamber in the family wing of Rosings Park - home to the noble Lady Catherine de Bourgh - Mr Darcy awoke in excellent spirits, confident that he would end the day engaged to the most wonderful lady of his acquaintance. The previous night he had dreamed that he was taking her to Pemberley for the first time and her fine eyes had been shining as she anticipated all the days, months and years that they would spend together here. She would wander the halls and pathways, learning the estate inside and out and bringing back the warmth that had been missing since his parents passed away. She would sing and play with Georgiana all day long, teaching his shy sister how to laugh again and fortifying her for her debut into society that must come all too soon. But most of all she would soothe his worries after a long day with a warm smile and a witty comment until all the troubles in the world melted away. It would be absolute bliss.

Rising, he washed his face and rang for his valet. Carefully he chose his favourite coat and allowed his servant to dress him as meticulously as always before dismissing the man for privacy. He took out his Grandmother's ring to admire it for a final time before tucking it securely into his pocket. Nerves fluttered in the pit of his stomach as he carefully rehearsed what he was to say. It was still too early to reasonably set out, being unlikely that Elizabeth would rise for another hour yet at least, but he could hardly contain the emotions coursing through him.

It would be wise for him to eat, but the risk of meeting a family member at breakfast was high and he was sure they would sense that something was wrong. He was hardly in the mood to confront Lady Catherine or give her any chance to deprive him of his joy. A loud growl from his stomach settled matters. He could hardly perform at his best when half starved. Luckily he found the breakfast parlour mercifully empty, his Aunt and Cousins all still safely asleep. He risked sitting to eat a full meal and take some coffee before setting out to walk a round of the park in the hopes that exercise would help his nerves to settle.

Eventually, after what seemed like hours had passed, he could prevent himself from drawing closer to the parsonage no longer, although in reality it was still far too early to expect Miss Elizabeth to be setting out. Resigning himself to the wait he walked a little way from the path to find a fallen log where he could comfortably seat himself and stretched out his legs. The only sound was the birds singing merrily in the trees. Was it his imagination or was their song more joyful than usual this morning? It was as if they knew the happy event that they would soon bear witness to. Lost in these pleasant daydreams, Darcy whiled away the minutes until the hour became more reasonable and he thought Miss Elizabeth must soon appear. Every crack, every shuffle seemed likely to be her and Darcy was on tenterhooks as his anticipation ever grew.

At last! He spotted a figure approaching that could only be her. But what blasted luck, it seemed that Mrs Collins had chosen this day of all days to accompany her friend. No, certainly the gods would not play such a cruel trick on him. Most likely Mrs Collins had an errand to run and was only setting off in Miss Elizabeth's company. After all, she had never before been with Elizabeth when they had met further into her walk. The ladies had not spotted him yet, hidden as he was in his comfortable spot away from the path. If he followed them a little way then they would probably part and he would get his chance to speak to Elizabeth. What harm could come of it? The ladies were walking in silence, so he felt no guilt at intruding on their privacy and he even fancied that Elizabeth too was irritated. Perhaps she had also been anticipating meeting him to say her farewells and was wishing her friend gone just as much as he did. Yes, that is what he would do, for after all he was a man deeply in love and rationality was quickly overruled by desire.

After they had been wandering away from the parsonage for quite some time, Charlotte grew impatient with her friend's silence and felt that she could hold her tongue no longer. Judging that they had covered a large enough distance to be out of earshot of the general bustle of the lane, she questioned,  
'How far are you planning to go without speaking to me Eliza?'

Elizabeth huffed in annoyance at this and stopped abruptly, turning to glare at her friend.

'Must you try to play matchmaker Charlotte? You know well my views on marriage.'

'Yes, yes, I know. Nothing but the deepest of love will tempt you into matrimony, et cetera. But is Mr Darcy not a man who you could love? He obviously respects you and as mistress of his fine estate you could certainly never be bored.' Charlotte attempted to reason, hoping that Elizabeth could not be stubborn enough to dismiss such a chance. Though she tried to respect her friend's high moral standards, she worried that with age Lizzy would only come to regret wasting the chances she had been given.

'You and I see Mr Darcy very differently indeed Charlotte. I can believe he respects me even less than I can believe he is wildly in love with me, yet you claim both are true!' Lizzy threw back at her, shaking her head in astonishment at the repetition of her friend's strange ideas. She was beginning to think that living with Mr Collins and Lady Catherine had completely turned poor Charlotte's head.

Unbeknownst to them both, Mr Darcy was loitering guiltily nearby. Following the ladies in the hope that he would be able to speak to Elizabeth if they parted was one thing, but eavesdropping on a private conversation, one that seemed to involve _him_ no less, was entirely another. He came so close to just walking away. But Elizabeth's views on marriage, if he wanted to propose to her then surely this was something he needed to know.

Wait, did she just say that she didn't believe he respected her? Of course he did, how could he not? He could see why she did not recognise his love since he had done everything in his power to hide it, but respect should have been a given. Could it be that all of his fantasies, everything he had thought existed between them, were imagined? This made up his mind. He had to stay and find out what she was going to say. Hopefully, this was all just a misunderstanding.

Charlotte was not as willing to let Elizabeth escape from conversing on this matter as she had been when they were inside. Knowing her as she did, she decided that the only way she could wear down her friend's determination to ignore her was by forcing her to consider the true reasons behind her dislike for Mr Darcy and see how trifling they really were.

'Dearest, tell me what you really have against Mr Darcy. He has not behaved so very badly, has he? I believe if you set matters straight in your head you will see that apart from initially insulting you all those months ago - which by the way he did compensate for by asking you to dance on several occasions - he has done nothing which you can actually have cause to be angry with him for. He is perhaps proud, but was it not _your_ pride which he damaged?'

'I do hate it when you talk so sensibly Charlotte, it is quite unfair. But no! I will not have this; Mr Darcy was insufferably rude on several occasions while in Hertfordshire, and I will now confess to you that there is another matter you do not yet know of. Indeed, I only learnt of it yesterday myself. It was Mr Darcy who separated Mr Bingley from poor Jane. He did not think her a suitable match. I believed the term used was _imprudent_. Now thanks to that hateful man my sister suffers a broken heart!' Elizabeth's eyes filled with tears through her passionate speech and she now rubbed them away angrily. Charlotte squeezed her friend's hand.

'And you are certain of this? It could not be a mistake?' She questioned gently.

'I had it straight from Colonel Fitzwilliam. He knew no names but was convinced the man in question was Bingley and worse thought it was proof of Darcy's great care for his friends! Surely there can be no doubt that the woman was Jane.'

'Then it is probably true.' Charlotte conceded. Bracing herself for the backlash she continued, 'But Lizzy, you know what my opinion was of Jane's conduct back then. She did not let the depth of feeling which she had for Mr Bingley show. It may have been obvious to you that she was in love but that does not mean Mr Darcy could distinguish it, nor does it mean that even Mr Bingley himself could. With your mother present boasting of how rich her daughter would be when they were married every time they met, he may have believed her mercenary.

'All that besides, is Bingley really the man for Jane anyway if he was so easily led away from her? It certainly doesn't seem to show the type of consistency that would make her a good husband. As much as I know you admire Bingley's trust in those around him, he cannot rely on his friend to rule his life. If I had done the same I would not currently be married.' This last statement was said pointedly with an eyebrow raised.

'Very true Charlotte, listening to one's friends is a dangerous game for if I were to listen to you it seems I would throw myself on Mr Darcy and be unhappily married for the rest of my life.' Elizabeth cried incredulously. 'I suppose I should play it safe and compromise him so that I can catch him even if, as I strongly suspect, my dislike for him is mutual.'

'Do not be unreasonable Elizabeth, you know that is not what I was suggesting.' Charlotte chided, unperturbed by the emotional outpouring which she had come to expect from her longtime best friend.

Nearby, Darcy's mind was reeling. Elizabeth had heard his insult that night. It couldn't be! Surely it must be obvious to the whole world that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen! But of course it was not obvious; he had done everything in his power to hide it. Ironically it seemed that Caroline Bingley and Charlotte Collins were the only two people in the world to have noticed.

Damn his big mouth, he had barely even glanced at the second Miss Bennet that evening before pronouncing his harsh judgement. On later perusal, he had quickly seen just how wrong he was. _And I would be willing to bet that she has spent her whole life being told she is not as pretty as her older sister_. The devil inside him whispered. He had possibly chosen the worst thing to say, for any other woman so handsome would have known exactly how ridiculous such an idea was and disregarded it, but in the shadow of her sister and with the great natural modesty which he was sure she possessed, Elizabeth had probably taken it to heart.

 _Typical_. He could have called Miss Bingley tolerable and she would have taken it as a declaration of his everlasting love, but instead he had said it about the one woman he really did fall in love with and now she despised him. Suddenly everything fell into place: her arch replies and sharp witticisms, their passionate debates. Elizabeth Bennet hated him.

Now Elizabeth blamed him for her sister's heartbreak too! Oh God, Jane Bennet was heartbroken and he had broken Bingley's heart for no reason at all because she had been in love with him all along. How on earth had he come to the conclusion that she was mercenary? Had he been too heavily influenced by his need to escape from Elizabeth before he was completely ensnared by her charm? He had been so sure that he was giving Bingley good, impartial advice.

Damn Richard and his big mouth too, he really needed to stop confiding in his loose-tongued cousin. At least he seemed to have an unlikely ally in Charlotte Collins, although he suspected that was far more for Elizabeth's sake than his own. Her friend at least was worried about Elizabeth's material comfort, even if the lady in question was not. However, considering the man who _she_ had seen fit to marry, he was slightly worried about what that showed about his own character. But Mrs Collins was right, how could he have known Miss Bennet was in love when she hid it so well? Relief washed over him as he heard her explaining to Elizabeth that such a conclusion would not be entirely ridiculous. Of course, and the Mother! That was why he had thought her a fortune hunter, he remembered now.

Darcy felt guilt lurch in the pit of his stomach hearing Bingley blamed for his inconsistency and it pained him not to be able to jump to his friend's defence but to reveal his presence now could only confirm everything bad that Elizabeth thought she knew of him. Uneasily he realised that Mrs Collins's words echoed those he had spoken one evening at Netherfield. He had criticised his friend's reliance on the advice of others. Why then had he continued to give advice when he knew that Bingley would put his opinion above his own?

Suddenly it dawned on Darcy that he needed to allow Bingley more freedom to make his own decisions and indeed his own mistakes if he was ever to learn. Manipulating his friend's life would never allow him to become his own man. Hearing Elizabeth talk about the mutual dislike she was sure existed between them only confirmed what he had already heard. He sadly fingered the ring in his pocket which he had planned to give to her to seal their engagement. What a fool he had been.

Elizabeth had taken a second to compose herself after her angry outburst and began to speak again more calmly, breaking Darcy out of his dazed introspection.

'I am sorry Charlotte. I should not have spoken so rashly. But you are not being kind to me today and I am not sure my pride can take much more of a beating. I suppose you are correct that the conduct of my family has not always been what it ought to be. I cannot think back to the Netherfield ball without thinking that every member of my family except poor Jane managed to disgrace themselves somehow.

'Lord, even I myself for I should never have spoken as I did to Mr Darcy in a ballroom no matter how infuriating I found him. I cannot agree with you that Jane's conduct was anything other than exactly what that of a proper lady should be, but as to the rest of what you have said, I can find no fault. This is indeed a pretty mess. If Mr Bingley loved Jane then he should have returned to Netherfield. In this matter, Mr Darcy cannot shoulder the blame, no matter how much I may want him to.'

'I knew you would reach such a conclusion when you thought about it more reasonably.' Charlotte smiled at her dear friend. 'But I am sure you can rule yourself out of the blame as well, for I am convinced that Mr Darcy found you nothing short of entirely lovely at the Netherfield ball.'

Elizabeth looked disbelieving once more, 'Yes, I can see that from the speed he ran away to London afterwards. But please let us be serious Charlotte, I have conceded that Mr Darcy is blameless in one of the events I held against him, there are still other scores to settle before I will believe that he is even a good man, let alone violently in love with me.'

Behind the cover of the undergrowth, Darcy continued to listen. He was caught somewhere between indignation that Elizabeth did not jump at the chance to marry Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley, admiration that she was not blinded by his wealth and curiosity at what further sins he had committed to earn her disapproval.

The glee that overcame him when he heard her forgive his role in separating Bingley from her sister made him feel like a child again wanting to jump for joy. This was dampened a little by her continued belief that he disliked her and her confirmation that this was only one of her grievances, but nonetheless it felt like a small victory. Still, his conscience could not allow him to completely forgive himself for instigating his friend's heartbreak. Elizabeth was correct; Miss Bennet had been everything that was proper and sincere and he had taken it as proof that she was not in love despite claiming to loathe the impropriety and insincerity that was often displayed in society.

Gaining confidence with Elizabeth's small concession, Charlotte pushed her friend to continue with their analysis, feeling certain now that she could be brought round to her point of view.

'Very well Eliza, the morning is still young. Allow me to settle your other grievances. We may pretend that we are in court. I shall, of course, take on the roles of judge, jury _and_ executioner.' Elizabeth smiled at her friend's analogy.

'What role shall _I_ take on?' She questioned.

'You may be the prosecutor and the witness as we shall need both.' Replied Charlotte, 'Although it is really very wrong of us not to have the accused here, for he has no way of defending himself. Still, as it is unlikely that the man in question is about to appear out of the woods, I suppose I shall also take on the role of defence.'

'This seems very unfair. You are sure to win if you are both the defence and the judge!' Elizabeth exclaimed laughingly.

'Complaint noted but as we are rather short of other participants I believe it shall have to be overruled. That is unless you wish for me to fetch my husband to participate?' At the violent shaking of her friends head, she continued, 'No? I thought not. Please present your first piece of evidence.'

'Very well.' Elizabeth took on an air of mock gravity, 'Miss Bingley is entirely infatuated with him, and only a deeply unpleasant man could hold the interest of such a spiteful and petty woman.'

'Hmmm,' Charlotte considered, 'but a man of such significant wealth must have many unpleasant women vying for his attention. Besides, Miss Bingley is the sister of his friend; he can hardly be rude to her. Allegation disallowed, next!'

'I suppose you will not let me complain that his Aunt is overbearing either then.' Elizabeth sighed. 'He does have one charming cousin though, which I suppose works in his favour.'

Mr Darcy was able to find some humour in the situation when Mrs Collins decided that they must put him on trial and it warmed his heart a little to observe how the two friends interacted. He admitted to himself that he had not paid the former Miss Lucas much attention while in Hertfordshire because she was merely the daughter of a tradesman and her face was plain. Now that he was forced to observe her witty conversation, he realised that Mrs Collins was probably far more intelligent than the majority of the fine ladies he knew and yet because of her station of birth he discarded her as not worth knowing. For all that he thought of himself a man who valued character over wealth and status, it seemed that he had not really behaved so.

In his self-contemplation, Darcy luckily missed Mrs Collins's joke about the chances of him appearing out of the woods and so avoided the apoplexy that it may have induced. It was Elizabeth's jokes about Miss Bingley and his Aunt that instead disturbed him, as while she was not being entirely serious they had a ring of truth. It was true that he had made allowances for Miss Bingley's behaviour as she was his friend's sister, but her actions were unpleasant and the fact that he did nothing to stop her or even encourage Bingley to stop her made him appear to agree with her views. His Aunt was also partly his responsibility and yet he sat and listened to her insult the woman he was in love with for weeks because he wouldn't give himself the trouble to argue with her. However, hearing Elizabeth pay compliment Richard made him equally uncomfortable. He tried to fight down the jealousy that he often felt for his favourite cousin. If only he could be easy and charming like the Colonel...

Meanwhile, Elizabeth's countenance had become more serious again.

'All jokes aside Charlotte, what of his treatment of poor Mr Wickham. Surely that cannot be excused.'

'I confess that I expected you to bring this up.' Charlotte said solemnly. 'His allegations are indeed worrying if true. But let me speculate a little before you interrupt me, Eliza. The key term in this statement is _if_. We have no way of knowing whether Mr Wickham's tale is true, all we have is his word and he is a mere soldier while Mr Darcy is a gentleman.

'First of all, Mr Wickham stated that the old Mr Darcy had funded his education. If he was already fully educated when he claims to have been refused a living by the young Mr Darcy, why was he not able to find another living? With the education of a gentleman, it should have been a simple matter. My husband was able to do it and I know your opinion of him. Surely Mr Wickham with all his charm could have managed.'

Darcy had shot back to the present upon hearing Wickham being brought into this and as always upon hearing that man's name his skin began to crawl. Of course that infernal man had somehow managed to poison everyone against him! To hear Elizabeth speak of him with such sympathy made Darcy's blood boil. He was coiled to leap from the bushes and shout her down with the entire sordid tale of Wickham's actions when Mrs Collins began a far calmer more sensible approach to analysing the situation and he came back to his senses. In his blind fury, he had almost revealed his presence again. Much better to wait and see if the ladies would come to a resolution themselves without having to risk his sister's reputation.

'But Mr Darcy could have made it impossible for him! He did not have the funds or connections.' Elizabeth protested vehemently against Charlotte's gentle logic, trying to defend her favourite. Charlotte's expression was sympathetic, but she persevered none the less.

'Dear Eliza, I know this pains you but if Mr Wickham had a university education then he should have _made_ the connections. If Mr Wickham was really so good and Mr Darcy so bad then he could not have fooled everyone. There is more. You told me that Mr Wickham was not afraid to face Mr Darcy and yet he avoided the Netherfield ball. That is not the mark of an innocent man.'

'He did not want to create an uncomfortable scene for Mr Bingley. He was trying to do the gentlemanly thing.' Elizabeth protested weakly.

'That may be so,' Charlotte allowed, trying to comfort her friend, 'but you also told me that Mr Wickham said he could never defame Mr Darcy due to his respect for his father, yet you were a complete stranger to him and he told you his tale of woe. Furthermore, the second Mr Darcy left the county the whole of Meryton was made aware of it. Where had his respect for old Mr Darcy gone then?' By this point, Elizabeth had gone entirely white and her eyes were wide. She could not deny that her friend's logic was sound, though it pained her greatly to realise it.

'You are right Charlotte; he has made an utter fool out of me. When we first met he asked me how long Mr Darcy had been in the neighbourhood I made my dislike clear. He must have seen an opening there and used it to his advantage.' Elizabeth remembered with horror, her agitation leading her to pace as she considered all of her interactions with Wickham in a new light.

Some time passed in this manner with Charlotte watching on quietly to allow her friend to sort out her thoughts. Silence had settled so heavily that Charlotte almost jumped when Elizabeth suddenly began to speak again.

'How blind I have been!' She exclaimed, all of her earlier righteousness now replaced with a consuming feeling of despair. 'Where Mr Darcy damaged my pride Mr Wickham made sure to compliment it with his pretty words. So pleased was I to be singled out from all the ladies that I was insensible to his impropriety and oblivious to the flaws in his story.

'I suppose at least there is nothing to say he is really wicked, it is only that I was a fool to trust him and his verdict on Mr Darcy.' She sighed and shook her head, trying to make sense of it all. 'I just cannot understand Mr Darcy's role in all of this. When we met that day there was something in his eyes that I am not sure I have ever seen before. A kind of absolute loathing so deep that I thought Mr Wickham might drop dead on the spot. After Wickham's tale I put it down to jealousy, but I realise now that it was much stronger. Yet if Mr Darcy knew any real ill of him then surely he would have warned someone, taken some action! Wickham is afraid of him. That much I know is true, but that is all I know is true.'

'Oh Eliza, do not worry over it so. It is not our place to speculate on the past of two people who are - at least currently - so wholly unrelated to us. Perhaps when Mr Darcy has been married to you for several years you may ask him, but certainly not before for if he dislikes Wickham so very much it may scare him off!' Charlotte teased.

'Do not joke so Charlotte, it makes me uncomfortable. Realising Mr Darcy may not be evil incarnate is still a great distance away from falling in love with him and you must remember that you have still to convince me that he admires me.'

'If you insist, but truly, I am glad you have been able to see that Mr Wickham is not what you initially thought. I think he scares me a little. He is almost too charming and this business with Mary King that you have told me of can only be seen as mercenary. Let us move on from that man now. I am pleased to declare that Mr Darcy is found innocent on this charge!' She declared with a flourish.

'Oh Charlotte, you do make me laugh.' Elizabeth responded, wishing that the time when she and her dear friend would have to be parted again by the fifty miles between Kent and Hertfordshire was not drawing so near.

As Darcy listened to Mrs Collins gently explain her theory to Elizabeth, the last of his anger against her faded away and he felt ashamed that a part of him had blamed her for falling for Wickham's lies. His own beloved father had believed Wickham to be a saint until the day he died and he had by no means been a foolish man. It could not be denied that George Wickham was a master in manipulating those around him, and it had been Darcy's own early behaviour that had brought on Elizabeth's dislike and made her vulnerable to him, something which he was now heartily sorry for.

Then it hit him. Elizabeth, her sisters, every woman in every town that Wickham visited was in danger from him and he had done nothing to stop it. That wasn't even considering all of the debts Wickham would run up which could be damaging in a small town like Meryton. He felt bitterly ashamed of himself as he heard Elizabeth's confusion and Mrs Collins's reassurances. If he ever thought there was a chance that Elizabeth would take him now then he would tell her everything Wickham had done and beg for her forgiveness.

They thought he was innocent in his dealings with Wickham! If only they knew, they would certainly not be so quick to pardon him. It was true that he had done nothing to hurt Wickham in the first place but by leaving him to wander the country unchecked when he knew him for the monster he truly was he must have hurt countless others. All of the grief of having let down his sister washed over him again and he felt as though he was drowning in it. If he had only told Georgiana that Wickham was no good all those years ago then she never could have fallen victim to him, and yet Ramsgate had taught him nothing for even after that he had merely allowed the scoundrel to continue!

'Come then Eliza, what other grievances do you have?' Charlotte demanded playfully, blissfully unaware of Mr Darcy's nearby figure hunched over in the agonising pain of regret. 'I am putting the problems of the world to rights today.' The shaking of Elizabeth's head was a resigned gesture now, for Charlotte really did seem to have an answer to all of the events she brought up, but she was not quite ready to admit defeat.

'Well…' She tried to think when her dislike of the man had solidified and settled on the time she had spent at Netherfield. 'You speak of Mr Darcy's admiration of me and yet I just know that it cannot be true. You see, when we were at Netherfield together his behaviour was abominably rude. In the evenings he and Miss Bingley would partner up to compete over who could be more insulting. They quite declared that a woman who could not speak four languages and recite the bible backwards in all of them was not worth knowing, and Mr Darcy accused me of wilfully misunderstanding people!

'Outside of this time, Mr Darcy refused to deign to address me at all, likely because he knew I could not fill the above requirement. We sat for over an hour together in complete silence! Do you need any more proof that he disdains of me?' To Elizabeth's great surprise, Charlotte laughed at this.

'Has it not crossed your mind at all that he may have meant to jest? Besides this, he must have many fine ladies of the ton competing for his hand and may have feared that being open in his interest would encourage you if you were a fortune hunter. And as for his silence when alone with you, why I hardly see that as proof of his disdain. Miss Bingley, who I do believe disdains of us, would have taken the chance to point out all of the ways in which you were inferior given such an opportunity. Mr Darcy did no such thing, but likely feared what he might reveal to you if he did speak.' Wisely, she chose not to point out that Mr Darcy had discerned Elizabeth's greatest flaw very well, or that once again it was Lizzy's own pride that had been insulted. Lizzy huffed in frustration at her friend's obstinacy and made no attempt to answer.

Mr Darcy, meanwhile, could still barely think through his anger and shame over Wickham, but he tried to pay attention to the conversation none the less. Any bit of knowledge which might help him to win Elizabeth's approval was surely worth having. What he heard could only pain him even more. The memories of their evenings at Netherfield were ones he had treasured. He had thought it clear when speaking of accomplished woman that he had meant to ridicule Miss Bingley's self-serving criteria and compliment Elizabeth with his comment on reading. More importantly, he had thought the jest in his declaration of her flaws obvious. How could it not be when she had responded so harshly? But it was clear now that there had been no jest when she spoke. She seriously believed that he hated everyone.

Charlotte, on the other hand, felt from her friend's failure to respond that she had achieved a small victory and was eager to continue.

'What else would you complain of?' She pressed. Lizzy huffed again but this time ventured an answer.

'I suppose it is nothing concrete. It is just something in his manner that is not quite rude but rather is the barest amount of polite he can possibly be. You observed him in Hertfordshire just as I did, he looked down on us, he disapproved of us and I suppose he made me feel like everything I hold dear was not good enough for him.' She bit her lip and looked dissatisfied with her attempt at expressing what she felt.

'You may have that Mr Darcy is a snob, but nothing more. And such a characteristic may be worked on, in time. At least he is intelligent. You would not have to suffer from being married to a fool. You shall not be young forever Elizabeth. I know what you thought of my marriage and I know why you rejected Mr Collins when he proposed to you, but you forget how much older than you I am. Six more years could very well leave you wishing you had taken the chances you were given.'

'I believe on this matter we shall have to agree to disagree, but I will concede that perhaps I have been too harsh. Mr Darcy is not a man I could ever marry, but he is not a wholly bad man either. Besides, he is to return to London tomorrow and I am unlikely to ever see him again. There, may we move onto lighter things now?'

'I suppose that is adequate, for the time being.' Charlotte glanced at Elizabeth. 'But I'm sure even you can agree that there is one aspect in which Mr Darcy is certainly not lacking. He is exceedingly handsome.'

At this Elizabeth laughed gaily, then pulling a serious expression she announced, 'He is tolerable I suppose, but not handsome enough to tempt me!'

The two friends collapsed into laughter at the ridiculous sentiment and with that, all traces of their intense conversation were gone. With their arms linked once more, they walked on to enjoy the warm morning, speaking only of the mundane but enjoying it as thoroughly as one always does when accompanied by someone who you know almost as well as you know yourself.

In his place close to where they had been standing Darcy tried to take comfort from their joy but found little. He could not have acted more abominably towards the woman he believed he loved if he had tried. All he had given her was offence and danger in the form of George Wickham. Even the revelation that Elizabeth's fool of a cousin had proposed to her barely induced a spark of anger in him as he wallowed in his misery, gloomily thinking that the idiotic parson was probably a more worthwhile husband than he.

Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley allowed himself a moment more to indulge in self-loathing and then he rose from the place where he had slumped and brushed down his clothes. Satisfied that he was once more presentable, he cursed himself for ever believing that Miss Elizabeth Bennet of Hertfordshire was beneath him and swore that he would redeem himself. From now on he would be a better brother, a better master, a better man. He had woken up today believing it was the day he would become engaged, but now he saw that he was far from deserving that joy yet. The anxiety of facing Elizabeth knowing what he did now would only grow the longer he left it and in any case it was less than a day until he was due to depart Rosings with his cousin for London. Once there he estimated that he had a fortnight before Elizabeth herself journeyed to London to meet her sister and then onward towards her home in Hertfordshire. He would have to work quickly, but if his plan succeeded then by the time she reached London Charles Bingley and Jane Bennet would be engaged.

* * *

 **And finally the extremely long chapter is over. I promise none of the rest are quite so never-ending (yet). Please do leave a review if you noticed any problems so that I can correct them. Thanks! :)**

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello again!  
Thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed or favourited after the last chapter.**

 **In answer to some general review topics:**

 **1) Yes, Lizzy and Darcy both still have a very long way to go. Lizzy is not even close to accepting that she judges people too hastily and Darcy has yet to fully appreciate the change he needs to make, but hopefully they will get there in time. I have every intention of showing that it takes more than just setting past mistakes right for Darcy to win Elizabeth's affection and I hope this comes through in the rest of the story.**

 **2) I'm glad so many people enjoyed my portrayal of Charlotte, she is one of my favourite characters and I think she is often overly vilified for the simple choice to ensure her future security rather than seek a love match which she is unlikely to ever actually find. To the comment that she is more observant than Elizabeth and possibly wittier as well - this (in my opinion) has always been the case in P &P. That being said, I do not think that Darcy ever could have fallen in love with her. As I see it, the reason that Mr Darcy favours Elizabeth is because she is not afraid to be impertinent to his face and she does not let the need for a stable future lead her to a loveless union where Charlotte does. Charlotte is sensible, far more so than Lizzy ever could be, but she also lacks Lizzy's strength and determination. Their priorities in life are fundamentally very different and this is what I see as the crux of why Darcy would always love Lizzy. I don't see it as a choice between** **Lizzy and Charlotte on his part because** **Charlotte would never have stood up to him the way Lizzy did and even if she had caught more of his attention he would have despised her mercenary motivations.** **Though if Charlotte was very beautiful Darcy may have noticed her in passing as he did Jane rather than completely overlooking her, beauty is not what makes him love Lizzy and it is certainly not the deciding factor between her and Charlotte. It is made clear that he could have far more beautiful women than Lizzy if he wanted to, so beauty was hardly his motivation.**

 **I hope that clears a few things up, or at least gives you some insight into the way I am choosing to show characters. Feel free to PM me if you want to discuss your own opinion of a character, I love to hear what other people think about characters' true feelings and motivations. Anyway,** **I've had a busy week so this chapter hasn't had quite as much editing as I would have liked, but hopefully there aren't many mistakes. As always, if you notice one please let me know in a review or PM.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Walking briskly, Darcy was able to return to the Hunsford parsonage before Mrs Collins and Miss Elizabeth who had taken the more scenic route. Knocking on the door, he was informed that the mistress and her friend were not within (as he had already known) but that Colonel Fitzwilliam was being entertained already by Mr Collins and the young Miss Lucas. To his surprise on approaching the parlour in which they sat he found that away from the influence of Rosings the young lady was in fact not mute. Sickeningly he reminded himself that it may also be his dour presence which rendered her so, since even in Hertfordshire he could not recall her uttering a word in his presence. True to form, when he was announced she fell silent once again.

'Darcy, there you are! I was beginning to think you'd got lost.' The colonel exclaimed. 'I quite expected to find you here already when I arrived, since you left Rosings before I did and walked in this direction. I thought perhaps you may have run into Mrs Collins and Miss Bennet and accompanied them, but I see they are not with you.'

'No, I have not had the pleasure of meeting them this morning.' Darcy lied as smoothly as he was able to, 'I had intended to walk this way earlier in the morning but found I was needed again by the steward to confirm some final details before our departure. I hope you will excuse my tardiness, sir.' At this he directed a short bow towards Mr Collins, hoping that he would launch into one of his characteristic speeches and so distract his cousin from seeing through his feeble excuse.

Never one to disappoint, the peculiar man tripped over himself to reassure Mr Darcy that such a noble personage, especially one so closely related to Lady Catherine de Bourgh, could never do anything to cause offence. Cutting him off before he could become too ridiculous, Darcy gave another nod of his head and mumbled a vague nothing. Taking the hint, the parson went back to whatever tale he had been telling his cousin. The Colonel threw Darcy a murderous glance for this, but he took little heed. He had more important matters to attend to.

Moving slowly across the room in a manner that he hoped was natural, he took a seat close to Miss Lucas. After all, if he could prove to Miss Bennet that he was able to treat those she cared about with respect then that would be a step towards improving her opinion of him. There was no time like the present to get started.

'Do you plan to remain in the county much longer, madam?' He queried.

Obviously caught by surprise at being addressed by the intimidating gentleman, Maria Lucas was able to steel her nerves enough to reply that she would remain with her sister for around another fortnight. He was of course already aware of this from Elizabeth, but could not think of another way to approach the young woman. Seeing how timid she was, he sternly reminded himself to do his best to seem open and friendly. He could pretend that he was speaking to his sister. Although Miss Lucas was far smaller she was of a similar age and wore an almost identical expression of wide-eyed innocence.

'I would imagine you are of a similar age to my sister.' He told her. 'She is currently residing in town, have you spent any time there?' He hoped that she would seize on the entertainments of London as a topic of conversation and was thankfully correct.

'No sir, but I should like to very much one day.' She replied honestly and then ventured to ask 'Is your sister fond of theatre? I have always wanted to see a show in London for I am told the stage there is unparalleled.' The young lady seemed almost embarrassed at having spoken so enthusiastically, but Darcy was once again completely amazed that another person he had dismissed completely due to her lowly station was merely shy.

'She is, although music is her true passion. She rarely leaves the pianoforte untouched for more than a few hours at any time. Do you play at all?'

'Only a very little and rather poorly. Miss Mary has been kind enough to teach me a few notes, but she says I do not have the dedication to really play well and I'm afraid she is right. I had much rather listen to someone who already plays so beautifully like Mary and Elizabeth than practice for hours myself only to find I am still not half as good. Besides, if one is playing one cannot dance!'

At this, Mr Darcy winced internally, privately thinking the young girl a frivolous fool. What a mercy it had been to him that Georgiana was a dedicated student. None the less, youth and lack of proper teaching must excuse Miss Lucas somewhat so he attempted to maintain a cordial expression and hide his disapproval. At least she was no Lydia Bennet. Darcy immediately chastised himself for thinking this. He had resolved to think on Miss Elizabeth's family more favourably but it seemed he still had a way to come.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth and Charlotte had taken a leisurely stroll to dispel all the tension of their intense conversation before returning to the parsonage and when they arrived they were told that the two gentlemen were being entertained within. Elizabeth blushed at the thought of seeing Mr Darcy, knowing now that she may have been unjust in some aspects of her judgement of him. She tried to shake this off; Mr Darcy would confirm his horrendous pride by being just as disagreeable as ever and she would be content to continue disliking him. Charlotte's ridiculous notion that he admired her could also be completely disproved and then he would leave and she would never have to meet him again. The only thing she would regret in the whole matter was the loss of the Colonel's company at Rosings.

Mr Collins immediately sprung to his feet on seeing his wife and cousin enter the room.

'My dear, Cousin Elizabeth, Mr Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam have been so kind as to grace us with their most excellent company. Is it not the most courteous mark of their benevolence that they have condescended to call on us to take their leave? And after all of the attention they have honoured us with throughout their visit, surely nothing-'

At this point his wife saw fit to intervene before he could take his compliments any further, 'Yes, indeed, it is most kind. I hope we have not kept you waiting for long, gentlemen?'

'Not at all!' Colonel Fitzwilliam cried, 'Darcy has only just arrived himself and we have been well entertained by Miss Lucas and Mr Collins.'

Darcy noticed that Elizabeth's eyes danced at this and concluded that she was imagining just how well Mr Collins had kept them entertained. The two ladies quickly seated themselves, Mr Collins crying more praise to Colonel Fitzwilliam's gracious benevolence as they did so, and soon they were engaged in conversation.

Mr Darcy had quite forgotten himself upon Elizabeth's entry, sharp pain and overwhelming tenderness simultaneously hitting him when he looked on her gentle countenance again, knowing now that he might never be able to have her but finding that he loved her still all the same. This rendered him speechless for some time and he was shocked to find that Miss Lucas was speaking to him.

'I enjoy singing very much, and do not find that nearly as trying as playing an instrument. But I'm afraid I am rather nervous to perform in public. Does your sister often perform?' Miss Lucas said quietly to Mr Darcy, reminding him that it had been she who he was conversing with before the other ladies entered. It took him a moment to compose his thoughts again, focused as they currently were on Miss Bennet, but he managed to form a somewhat coherent answer.

'She too it very nervous and though she will play for me she refuses even to play for our Aunt. I believe she finds her too intimidating. Perhaps as you become older it will frighten you less, but practice always helps as well.' He tried to be as gentle with the girl, as though it really was Georgiana he was speaking to, and miraculously he succeeded in putting her more at ease.

'I could not imagine ever singing in front of Lady Catherine, even if she was my Aunt!' Miss Lucas exclaimed with wide eyes.

'Her bark is worse than her bite.' Darcy informed the young girl sagely. 'And besides, she herself can sing not a note, so has no real knowledge of the art with which to disparage you.' Noticing that Elizabeth seemed to be listening to their conversation he added 'I am sure Miss Bennet would be happy to perform a duet with you. As you have observed yourself she is proficient at the art and I am sure with her support you would be far less nervous. I think you would perform very well.'

Elizabeth was flustered to see Mr Darcy after her conversation with Charlotte and perplexed by his changed behaviour, but nonetheless seized on the chance to try to boost the younger girl's confidence.

'Of course Maria, you sing beautifully. I would be happy to accompany you at any time.' She agreed.

Miss Lucas could only blush at the praise, unused to being the centre of attention, and she fell silent again. Mr Darcy also felt all of his usual awkwardness return with full force. Miss Lucas he could compare to his sister and communicate with that way, but facing Elizabeth knowing that she disliked him was another matter.

'We were just speaking of my sister.' He told her with as much composure as he could muster after the revelations of the morning, annoyed that he could think of nothing better to say.

'Oh,' Miss Elizabeth replied, also seeming slightly unsettled, 'She is well I hope?'

'Yes, very well I believe. I had a letter from her just two days ago and her spirits seemed high. She shall certainly be glad to have her favourite cousin at her disposal once more.' He said, turning his head towards the Colonel again in an attempt to take the pressure off himself. Thankfully where he struggled with conversation his cousin excelled.

'Ah, and I shall be glad to do the fair maiden's bidding!' His cousin declared theatrically. 'Her every whim shall be my command.'

'And do you expect to accomplish a great many brave deeds on your return to town, fair knight?' Miss Elizabeth replied jestingly, falling back into her comfortable role in conversation with the Colonel. Darcy was relieved to sit back and observe as was his usual wont and between the Colonel, Miss Bennet and Mrs Collins chatter flowed easily allowing Miss Lucas and Mr Darcy to relax into their habitual silence.

It was only when the gentlemen had departed that Elizabeth had time to think on Mr Darcy's unusual behaviour. She was certain that she had never before observed him speaking so gently as he did to Maria Lucas and could only assume that it must be the subject of his sister which rendered him so. To see this softer side to the normally taciturn gentleman caused an unfamiliar twist of uncertainty in her stomach. Though it did not undo all of his previous rudeness, it did suggest that perhaps she had been wrong to think of him as completely cold and emotionless. Charlotte had cautioned her that she was allowing her wounded pride to cloud her vision of him, but she desperately did not want to believe she had been so vain. Though she could concede that it had been wrong of her to believe Mr Wickham's flawed tale so readily and that perhaps Jane's misfortune was not entirely his fault, she was not prepared to change her opinion of him as rude and disdainful yet.

Of course, after that conversation ended he had lapsed back into silence and his intense gaze had followed her as ever. She was all too aware of it and despite Charlotte's insistence that it was a sign of his admiration she could not be so sure. She could not detect any warmth in it, rather she thought that he looked to be in pain. Whatever it was, she would take far more convincing to believe that he thought kindly of her. Convincing that would surely never take place, for he was to depart and she would never have to lay eyes on him again. Yes, he would leave and it would not matter if she had judged him a little too hastily. With that Elizabeth resolved to put the irritating gentleman from her mind, choosing instead to look on the past only as it gave her pleasure.

* * *

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello!**

 **I am attempting to upload this from my phone as I currently have no wifi, so hopefully it will work. I will check again for mistakes when I am back on my laptop, but please let me know in a review if you notice any problems. Thank you so much to anyone who has reviewed, favourited and followed.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

That evening dinner at Rosings was a trial for both Mr Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam to suffer through. As it was the last night of their visit the Hunsford party had not been invited and it was a secluded family affair. This meant that Aunt Catherine saw fit to be even more open with her hints to Darcy that she expected him to marry her daughter, while also happily insulting both of her nephews in everything they did. The Colonel's coat was a poor fit, Darcy's hair was unruly and they ate both too much and too little during different courses.

Darcy's temper soon failed. He had been able to keep his composure earlier in the day, but he was a man whose heart had just been broken and life going on as normal seemed incomprehensible in the face of the blow he had suffered. His aunt's not so subtle hints regarding his marriage only rubbed salt in the wound. He longed to tell her that he was desperate for marriage, just not to the woman she had in mind, but that would help no one. Instead, he pleaded a headache at the earliest opportunity and retired to his room to mourn his hopes for the future in private.

More than one glass of brandy was consumed in Darcy's effort to rid himself of bleak thoughts, but this endeavour proved entirely useless. His disappointment was determined to haunt him. Never before could he remember a day which had started with such joy and ended so badly. Well, perhaps the day that he had discovered Georgiana with that cad…(Such thoughts as this of course only served to darken his mood even further).

Over the course of the evening he considered every moment that he had spent with Miss Elizabeth, analysing the whole of their acquaintance to determine how he could have been so blind to her true opinion of him. Sometimes he raged against her, convincing himself that she was the one at fault, but these moments always passed quickly. With the benefit of hindsight, her dislike of him and the reasons for it were plain to see and easy to understand. Having heard in detail the reasons she thought everything she did about him, he could not, in all honesty, hold her to blame.

The largest part of Darcy's time that night was spent berating himself for everything he had done wrong. When finally he fell into a fitful slumber, even in sleep he could find no relief. In his dreams an angry Elizabeth Bennet plagued him, sometimes disparaging him to her friends and family, sometimes rejecting him to his face, but always with the same expression of loathing in her eyes.

His night was restless and he woke early feeling utterly miserable. The only consolation was that he would soon be back in London with his sister and away from his aunt, but in order to right his wrongdoings of the past, he would hardly be able to rest once there. For one thing, he would have to tell Bingley of Miss Bennet's presence in London and confess that his advice in that regard had been poor. Hopefully, his good-natured friend would take it as an honest mistake and be able to secure the lady's hand if he was still so inclined, but Darcy's guilt made him feel that the offence he had committed was unforgivable.

Worse still, as hard as risking one of his closest friendships would be, an even more unpleasant task awaited him than this. He could no longer ignore his duty. He must find a way to force Wickham to face up to his crimes and it must be one which would not endanger Georgiana's reputation. It would be necessary to enlist the Colonel's help for this task, although Darcy knew he would have no problems there. Richard had been vying for Wickham's blood ever since Darcy first paid off his debts years ago and only his adamant stance that they must respect his father's memory had held his cousin back. It was part of the reason that Darcy held himself to blame for Georgiana's near ruin, for if he had only listened to Richard sooner then she might have been saved the traumatic ordeal. He also knew that in explaining his change of heart on this account he would inevitably spill his whole sorry tale of his near proposal to his cousin and much teasing would surely follow. It would be another long day.

Thankfully they were able to depart from Rosings quickly. The luggage had been packed and farewells said the night before and Lady Catherine and her daughter were not early enough risers to be present at the hour they chose to leave. If the servants found it peculiar that the gentleman chose to leave quite so early as they did, for indeed the sun had not yet risen when they awoke, then they mentioned nothing. Privately, however, it was a constant source of amusement to the Rosings staff that the two grand gentlemen had such a great aversion to their aunt as to go to such lengths to avoid any further farewells, and that she, in turn, was so oblivious to it.

All that remained before the gentlemen could leave was to go over their careful instructions with the steward a final time to ensure that affairs at Rosings had been properly set in order for the following year and then they could be off. After this had been done Darcy lent his head back in his plush carriage seat and breathed a sigh of relief. He had not even confronted his aunt about the fact that he would not be marrying her daughter yet. That was a battle for another day.

'What are these troubles that are weighing you down so heavily Darcy?' Richard cut straight to the chase once they had privacy, not bothering with small talk.

He had noticed the black mood that his cousin had been in ever since they met in London at Christmas and it worried him. Darcy had always been serious and reserved but since the death of his father, this had become even more accentuated. Richard had tried to relieve some of the pressure on his younger cousin's shoulders with his support in caring for Georgiana and assistance in business matters but his role in the military often took him away and the danger he was in only added to Darcy's worries. Darcy only shook his head and looked miserable in answer.

'You aren't feeling unwell are you?' Richard asked, suddenly concerned. Darcy had complained of many headaches recently and he looked as if he had been sleeping poorly.

'No.' Darcy answered bleakly.

'Then what's wrong? Don't just sit there feeling sorry for yourself. Tell me what I can do.' He cried, always the man of action. He didn't like to see his serious cousin so miserable.

'Would you say that I am a good man, Richard?' Darcy asked abruptly, catching his cousin of guard with a sudden appearance of vulnerability.

'Of course!' The Colonel replied vehemently. 'Anyone at Pemberley would tell you so. The people in your care always have their needs tended to and are treated well. You are a credit to the family name and your character and morals are above reproach. Surely you cannot doubt that?'

'You have told me that I am a good master and that I uphold the family name. I do not doubt that. But I begin to believe that this is not enough to equate to being a good man.'

'Well, I am afraid I am no philosopher and can hardly speak on such matters. But come, cousin, it is not like you to wallow so. What on earth has brought this bout of self-pity on?'

Darcy sighed, then reached into his pocket and pulled out the engagement ring. 'I was going to propose to Miss Bennet.' He admitted.

'Well, why didn't you? Did you not have the chance? That is easily solvable, we can stop the carriage right now and you can get to it.' Richard said at once, not even batting an eyelid. The idea of making a proposal of a marriage did not seem at all worrying to him.

Darcy stared incredulously at his cousin. 'It is not that simple. I have been an idiot. She does not like me.' He tried to explain.

'Well that's no great barrier - my parents quite loath each other and yet they have still managed to produce four children and live more than thirty five years together. She will not have to see that much of you and would have the advantage of all the Darcy riches to console a mild dislike for you. I am sure with time you would even be able to persuade her to think on you fondly.'

The idea that anyone would refuse an offer of marriage to such a wealthy man merely due to dislike did not seem to occur to him. He was elated that his cousin was merely lovesick and could be cured so easily, immediately putting his strange words from earlier down to the feeling that he would be marrying below his station. Though that would be true, Miss Bennet was a kind, lively woman who would make a fine wife and Darcy's general dislike of society would mean that any disdain for the match would be weathered easily. Her obvious intelligence would help her to be a good mistress for Pemberley and ensure that Georgiana was always protected. Indeed, if circumstances had been different he would likely have been Darcy's rival in trying to win her affections...

'You do not understand Richard; I believe she would refuse me if I made her an offer!' Darcy tried to tell him.

'Do not be so ridiculous, you can't have done anything that bad Darcy. Come on, you're acting like you compromised the poor girl and left her to be ruined.' Suddenly a look overcame his face. 'You didn't, did you?'

'No, of course not!' Darcy exclaimed looking scandalised. Did even his cousin think he was capable of such ills? It seemed that he had succeeded in turning the whole world against him. Realising that his cousin would not speak again until he confessed something more, Darcy admitted to what had occurred the day before. 'The night before last I realised I could not bear leaving her again and I made up my mind to propose. Those months in town after I first left her in Hertfordshire were pure agony. I could not do anything without imagining what she would think, what she would say, how she would look in my house and my room. I had been so determined that she was beneath me and I could not marry her, but it was all for nought when I saw her again a few weeks ago. She was even more than I had remembered.'

'Oh dear, it really does sound like you are completely besotted with her.' Richard looked pityingly at him. Darcy ignored his comment, continuing as if he hadn't heard.

'Yesterday morning I was not really speaking to the steward, I had gone out in the hopes of meeting Miss Bennet on her morning walk. I waited for her near the parsonage, but to my surprise when she walked by Mrs Collins was with her. I am not proud of it, but I followed them in the hope that Mrs Collins would split off and give me my chance. They were talking and I eavesdropped on their conversation.' The Colonel didn't seem in the least bit bothered by Darcy's improper behaviour, leaning forward in anticipation.

'Well, what were they saying?' He asked.

'You could at least pretend to be disappointed in my behaviour.' Darcy reproached.

'I've listened at a fair few doors in my time. I am certainly not going to discourage you from doing the same.' Richard flashed an easy smile.

'They were speaking about me.' Darcy admitted.

'Well, that's hardly a surprise. Eavesdroppers never hear good of themselves you know.'

'That turned out to be true in this case. Unbelievably so.' Darcy shook his head in shame, remembering again what had been said.

'So she turned out to be another fortune hunter and it broke your heart. You'll get over it old man. Plenty more fish in the sea. Still, though, it is a shame. I can see why you liked her, she was very convincing.' Richard patted his shoulder sympathetically, coming to his own conclusions. He had enjoyed Miss Bennet's company and it was disappointing to find that her agreeable manners were really just another show put on to catch a rich husband.

'No! You've got it all wrong. Miss Bennet is a perfect lady. It is I who have acted badly. In fact, you are not blameless in this either cousin!' Darcy exclaimed.

'For God's sake man, just tell me what actually happened then.' Richard looked exasperated.

'Mrs Collins was trying to persuade her friend that I had feelings for her. I had tried to hide it and my act must have been convincing because Miss Elizabeth was determined that it could not be true. She believed there existed a mutual dislike between us. You see, the first time we met at an assembly in Hertfordshire Bingley had been trying to encourage me to dance. I was not in the mood at all, so I snapped. I called the lady who he had suggested tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt me and she overheard me. Unfortunately, that lady was Miss Bennet and I soon found she was indeed handsome enough to tempt me, very much so.'

'Well, that is not ideal I confess Darcy. But surely if you were to pay her your addresses her pride would easily be soothed?' Richard reasoned, still believing Darcy's reaction to be somewhat melodramatic.

'I'm afraid that was only the first of my mistakes Richard. Do you remember I told you recently that I had helped a friend out of an imprudent marriage and you so helpfully passed that on to Miss Bennet? You were correct by the way, the man was Bingley.'

'Good God man, are you telling me that the woman was Miss Bennet and you separated them out of jealousy? That is indeed an offence that would be hard to forgive.' Richard looked genuinely shocked for the first time.

'Nothing so morbid.' Darcy reassured his cousin. 'The lady was a Miss Bennet, but Miss Jane Bennet, Miss Elizabeth's older sister.'

'Ah, then I can see why that may not put you in her best of graces. I am heartily sorry Darcy; I never should have said anything to Miss Elizabeth. I rather thought I was helping your cause, proving what a good friend you were.' Richard looked repentant for his part in the business and hoped it had not contributed too heavily to his cousin's disappointment.

'I know you did, I do not blame you. I genuinely thought the eldest Miss Bennet had no attachment to Bingley, she is rather different to her sister and shows little emotion. What's more, their mother is quite mercenary. But it turns out I was wrong, from what Miss Elizabeth said her sister is utterly heartbroken. I shall have to tell Bingley I was mistaken when I return to town and hope he forgives my interference. The strangest part of it all is that Mrs Collins explained all the reasons I might have had to believe her sister mercenary and pointed out that if Bingley had been consistent he would not have listened to my advice, so in the end I was practically acquitted of all blame in the matter!' Darcy explained.

'Well, that is good!' Richard said. 'You have told me nothing yet that makes your case seem hopeless, and of course Bingley will forgive you, he thinks the world of you.'

'I wish I could have your optimism Richard, but I am afraid if Bingley feels even half as strongly about his Miss Bennet as I feel about mine then it will not be so easy. On top of what I have already told you, I have also concealed from him the fact that Miss Bennet has been in town for several months. She called on Miss Bingley near the beginning of her stay and was led to believe that Bingley was perfectly aware of her presence but did not care for her enough to meet her. I do not know if that is a slight she will forgive him for or a situation he can explain.

'Anyway, hush now, there is more to tell and this is the part that will make you angry. It accounts to Wickham.'

'What has that man done now?' Richard balled his hands into fists and looked furious.

'He was there, in Hertfordshire. He has taken up a commission in the militia and was - is - stationed in Meryton. I had been particularly unpleasant to Miss Elizabeth just before he arrived, for she had been staying in the same house as us to care for her ill sister and I was worried that if I paid attention to her it would give rise to hopes I could not fulfil. As I am sure you can picture, it did not help that Miss Bingley, of all people, was the only one to recognise my growing attraction and acted in her usual vile manner to try to disparage Miss Bennet.

'That made her vulnerable to Wickham; he used her dislike for me to spin a false tale of woe about how badly I had treated him. Apparently, the second I left it was all over the town and considering how rude I had been to everybody no one doubted it. Once again my only ally was Mrs Collins who pointed out Wickham's inconsistencies. They concluded that Wickham could not be telling the truth but were confused as to his actual role because as a gentleman I surely could not have let him into their midst if he was a bad man either.

'So you see I have failed again. All of the people in that town are vulnerable to him and I have done nothing to prevent it. You know as well as I do that he leaves debts and bastard children everywhere he goes. I shall need your help to deal with him, I should have listened to you all along.'

'Do not be so down on yourself Darcy, everything you have done has been to protect your sister. In any case, it seems Miss Elizabeth does not blame you for this either. We will deal with Wickham later, tell me why you are still so sure that the lady will not have you.'

'Because she proceeded to say that I was not a man she could ever marry and persisted in believing in our mutual dislike. Her only concession was that I was not evil incarnate. That is hardly the basis for a loving marriage.' He moped.

'Come now, you must not always focus so much on the negatives. If she had been able to put aside her early opinion of you then that is a step forward. I still find it difficult to believe that any woman with no fortune and an uncertain future would turn down an eligible match.' Richard replied, trying to boost Darcy's spirits.

'Then prepare to be surprised once more, cousin.' Darcy answered. 'I confess that when we first arrived in Kent and we were informed Mr Collins's marriage I believed Miss Bennet may have been the bride. The idea horrified me, but it was based on the attention I had seen him bestow on her in Hertfordshire. It turns out that my suspicions were not unfounded. Mrs Collins was not Mr Collins's first choice of bride. He did propose to Miss Bennet but she rejected him and is determined to only marry for love. I can only assume that I would be met with the same answer.'

'Then I am more impressed by the lady than I know how to put into words. It takes a great strength of character to choose such a course, knowing there is no guarantee that she will ever receive another offer as good. I can only say that you have chosen a fine woman to set your sights on Darcy, but now you must prove that you are equally fine a man.'

'I know.' Darcy said, his expression becoming hopeless once again.

'Oh do cheer up; I did not say such a task was impossible! I believe you are quite fine enough to be worthy of the woman's affections, you have only to show that to her. Now tell me, was anything more said?' Richard asked.

'Only that Mrs Collins believes me to be quite handsome.'

'Ah, and what did Miss Bennet say of your looks?' The colonel asked, laughing at his cousin's vanity in picking this out. Darcy shot him a withering glare.

'She said that I was tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt her.' Richard burst out laughing again.

'You have to admit, you had that one coming to you Darcy.' Richard gasped through his hilarity. 'Don't worry Cousin; Miss Bennet will see that you are a man worth marrying. We will make sure of it.' He patted Darcy's shoulder, still shaking with mirth. With this over the cousins settled back into comfortable silence.

Colonel Fitzwilliam spent the rest of the journey contemplating how his cousin had managed to insult the woman he was in love with so thoroughly. It was just like Darcy to hide his emotions so carefully that the object of his affection thought he hated her. Darcy was a good man though, and he would ensure that Miss Bennet saw that. They deserved the chance to be happy together.

* * *

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello! A massive thank you to everyone who has reviewed, followed or favourited this story.** **The reviewers have been absolutely wonderful with pointing out where there are problems with my spelling, grammar or regency knowledge and after this chapter goes up I have a few of the earlier chapters that I have now edited to include those corrections to replace (no major changes though - don't worry, it's definitely not necessary to re-read any of it). That said, I may still have missed out some of the corrections because trying to edit can be pretty mind numbing, so just keep screaming at me if you still notice problems.**

 **The only suggestions I am currently not acting on are (1) The switches between Darcy's POV and the E/C conversation, I know it's a bit confusing but I can't think of a good way to write it doing all E/C first and then Darcy, I like having his reactions to everything they say and I think this would just be confusing if I separated their speech from his reaction. And (2) I have decided to keep the engagement ring. It was pointed out (possibly by more than one person) that engagement rings weren't the norm this early, but I did some research and although they went in and out of fashion they were in use from around 1540 onward in England, particularly among the nobility. Though it was not until the Victorian era that they became very popular among everyone, it didn't seem unfeasible that wealthy families like the Darcys and Fitzwilliams would have used them earlier than this, though I may be wrong. - I thought I better just explain my reasoning on these so that people know I have thought about it and not just ignored their comments, but if you disagree with me and think I absolutely have to change these things please do say and I will definitely still consider it.**

 **Darcy is back in London in this one and starting to try to correct his mistakes, lets see how that goes! Enjoy :)**

* * *

The pair had made good time on the road to London and thanks to their early start the Darcy Carriage was rumbling into town by late morning. Colonel Fitzwilliam was dropped off with his luggage at his family's town house with a promise that they would meet to sort the Wickham situation soon. He had many contacts from his role in the army and he would quickly be able to ascertain what Wickham's behaviour in Hertfordshire had been like. There was little doubt that he would already have run up debts there, but what type and on what scale would help them to determine how easily he might be removed. After all, the worse Wickham's current situation, the more leverage they would have to manipulate him with.

Darcy had expected to pick up his sister when he dropped the Colonel off, for while he was out of town she had been residing with their relatives where he was sure she would be safe, but he was informed that she had opened Darcy house the day before so that she could welcome him home. Although this had certainly been done with the help of their aunt, it filled him with a sense of pride as he thought how Georgiana had improved over the recent months. Immediately after the Wickham affair she would not have dared to venture where there was not a member of family in the immediate vicinity, even for only a day. Even without that blow, it had not been easy for her to grow up without parents and he knew that despite his best efforts he had been a poor substitute as he barely remembered what it was like to have a mother himself. After Ramsgate he had feared she might never recover, but this was a sign that she may be gaining a little confidence again at last.

Declining the invitation to come in and take tea with his other relations, Darcy instructed his driver to make haste. He had no intention of keeping Georgiana waiting any longer than was necessary. Driving through the bustling streets they soon came to Darcy house and he just looked at it for a second, allowing the relief of reaching home to fill him. Distracted as he had been over the recent Yule period by a certain lady whose absence in his life had been very noticeable, he had not properly appreciated all that he had. His sister had surely felt the effects of this too and not knowing the true cause of his reticence would undoubtedly have blamed herself. This was yet another thing he would have to correct in the coming weeks.

After instructing his servants to have his belongings taken to their proper place and the carriage removed, Darcy entered the hallway. Georgiana had been watching for his arrival out of the window all morning, exasperating her companion with her complete inattention to French grammar, and upon seeing the carriage had rushed into the hall to greet him. When he walked in she gave a demure curtsy as she had been taught.

'Welcome home brother, I hope you are well.' She spoke a polite, rehearsed line, hoping that her dear brother would see how much she had learnt from her past mistakes.

'Yes, I am very well, thank you.' He squeezed her hands and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, trying to communicate how much he cared for her. 'And you are well too?'

'Yes, I am.' She replied earnestly, basking in her reserved brother's unusual display of affection and not daring to venture anymore in case it ruined his good mood.

'That is good.' He said gently. 'It seems we made very good time on the road. If you will permit me a half hour to change then we may take tea together.'

'Of course brother, I will have it arranged.' Her answer was generically polite, but he could tell from the light that had appeared in her eyes that she was pleased to spend more time with him.

Darcy raced to change and freshen up quickly, allowing himself no time to rest from his journey despite the somewhat excessively early start they had made. He still wished to speak to both Bingley and Georgiana that very afternoon and the usual pile of business to be attended to had built up while he was in Kent. Much to his valet's irritation, though of course the man was far too professional to let it show, Darcy began to sift through the items his steward had deemed most important as his cravat was still being tied. Finally judging his appearance to be in order and none of the business waiting for him so urgent as to require immediate attention, he returned to his sister's side as promised.

Tea was a simple, quiet affair which they took in Georgiana's favourite sitting room. Her companion, Mrs Annesley, had opted to return to her rooms so that the siblings may have a chance to speak more privately and the peace this allowed suited Darcy perfectly. It was a stark contrast to the loud gaudiness of Rosings. The only thing he could imagine that would make it better was Elizabeth's slender frame curved in the seat next to him, possibly balancing a book in one hand while she ate and drank. But enough of that, he had promised himself that he would try not to mope.

'Was your stay at Rosings - err - pleasant?' Georgiana ventured at length, privately thinking that from the few times she had visited Rosings it was one of the least pleasant places she had ever been.

'Aunt Catherine was much as she ever is, if that is what you are trying to ask.' He replied gently. 'She first complained of my appearance and then of Richard's. She then demanded that I marry our cousin to unite Pemberley and Rosings. Her persistence in a hopeless cause is perhaps commendable.' At this, he raised a small laugh from his sister. Encouraged by her response, he pressed on. 'Actually, the visit was rather less arduous than usual. While there we met with some people who I had first become acquainted with in Hertfordshire.'

'Oh?'

'Yes, the former Miss Lucas and one of the five Miss Bennets. You may remember me telling you that the Bennet estate is entailed to their cousin, Mr Collins, who is currently our aunt's parson. He was recently married to Miss Lucas, who is a close friend of Miss Elizabeth Bennet, the second eldest. She was visiting with them along with Mrs Collins's sister at the same time as Richard and I were visiting Lady Catherine.'

'Miss Elizabeth, was she not the one who you told me Miss Bingley had a great dislike for?' Georgiana ventured.

'Indeed, would you suppose to follow Miss Bingley's lead?'

'Oh, not at all. If anything I believe her dislike would recommend Miss Elizabeth to me all the more, although I suppose it would be wrong to form an opinion of the lady without meeting her myself.' Georgiana observed, then as if suddenly realising herself she clamped a hand over her mouth and her eyes became wide.

Darcy, who had been pleased to hear his sister give more than a single word answer, was disturbed to see her withdraw back into herself so immediately though she had done nothing more than express an opinion. He reached out and took her hand, waiting for her to regain her composure.

'I am sorry.' She murmured at length when she seemed to have recovered somewhat from the shock of her own speech.

'Georgiana,' He looked at her carefully, 'you are allowed to speak your mind and need not apologise when you have made no mistake.'

'Yes, brother.' She said meekly, but she did not look convinced at all.

'Georgiana, I insist that you speak to me. I wish to know what troubles you.' He instructed gently, trying to reassure her that he was not angry. Her lip wobbled.

'But I have made a terrible mistake brother. I feel I must apologise for it for the rest of my life and it will never be enough.' She choked out. He clasped both her hands together beneath one of his and gently lifted her chin so that she was looking at him with his other.

'You do not have to apologise for that anymore dearest. It was not your fault. I am to blame for leaving you at risk and not making you aware of the facts. That is all in the past now. I will not withhold information from you anymore.' Georgiana looked as though she might argue with him but Darcy was having none of it. 'No.' He said decidedly. 'I will have no more of you blaming yourself. There is no use in it.' She seemed to accept this somewhat, or at least decide that arguing was futile, and they finished their tea in silence.

Not wishing to push his sister any further just yet, Darcy decided that he would speak with Bingley first and inform Georgiana of all that had taken place later. He certainly did not relish the fact that he would have to discuss Wickham again with her but hoped that she would take some comfort from knowing that he had deceived many others besides her. Putting his teacup down, he cleared his throat to get her attention. She looked up with startled doe eyes, seeming to expect some criticism, and his heart ached that she would be so subdued even after his reassurances.

'I am afraid I have business with Bingley that cannot be delayed, but I will endeavour to return to you as quickly as possible. When I do I intend to tell you of a series of mistakes that I have made recently and you shall be able to laugh at my foolish actions.'

He detected a slight brightening in Georgiana's face at his assurance that he would spend some time with her again later and she protested sweetly that she was sure she could never laugh at his misfortune, to which he assured her in return that Richard had laughed quite enough for them both. This gained him a tentative smile before he left and he thought with some semblance of happiness that at least he would always be dear to his sister, even if what he had to impart destroyed his friendship with Bingley forever.

* * *

 **I know, I know, this was a short chapter. Please don't kill me. The next chapter follows Darcy in London again before we head back to Hunsford and Elizabeth finds out that even with Darcy gone she can't escape from having her opinion of him altered.**

 **Just to quickly explain the timings I imagine for the journey from Rosings to London, I have them leaving at around 6am (they really hate Lady C) and arriving in town just before 12. I'm fairly sure this works as long as Rosings is in the north or centre of Kent as from London to the middle of Kent it is 36 miles, so assuming Rosings is closer than this travelling at around 6 miles an hour they could have made it. I realise that this doesn't quite fit canon as Mr Collins is supposed to see them leave and I doubt he was hanging around at 6 am for that, but I want Darcy to be in London in time to do things in the afternoon so...**

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello!  
A big thank you to everyone who has followed/favourited. I hope you continue to like the story.  
It's another short chapter I'm afraid, but it wouldn't particularly make sense to merge it with any of the others.**

 **For a brief overview of how involved characters are for people who wanted to know:  
-Charlotte is still relatively involved but once Elizabeth leaves Hunsford her presence will be patchy  
-Colonel Fitzwilliam has a part to play, but he also actually has a job so...  
** **-Georgiana is heavily involved from here on  
** **-Mr Collins and Lady Catherine will pop in and out to stir things up  
** **-Caroline Bingley definitely wants her say in everything too  
-A few other characters hang around and do slightly unexpected things to challenge Lizzy and Darcy's perceptions of the people around them**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Darcy arrived at the Hurst townhouse in Grosvenor Street to find that the family were sitting in the drawing-room together, but his friend happily invited him in despite the interruption. To his luck, only the Hursts were present as Miss Bingley was out, a chance which he thanked God for. Although Bingley exclaimed that he was pleased to see him and tried to appear as joyful as ever, Darcy fancied that he was still not his usual self and guilt gnawed at him again.

He declined the offer of refreshment as he had partaken at home and exchanged all the usual pleasantries about his time in Kent as would be expected - at least, those that would be expected from someone who is generally quiet and reserved in company. He did not mention that Miss Elizabeth had been there as he was sure that what Mrs Hurst knew Miss Bingley would soon find out and he was not yet ready for that. In fact, he was largely silent, allowing Bingley to chatter on as he often did while Mr Hurst focused entirely on some little pastries he was devouring and Mrs Hurst thought of very little at all.

Thankfully, curiosity soon got the better of Bingley and he made his excuses to the Hursts, leaving the two friends able to withdraw to the study where Darcy could finally speak plainly. He did just that before he could lose his nerve.

'Bingley, I will not beat around the bush. I am afraid I have failed you. My advice to you has been poor and I am heartily sorry for it, I hope you will be able to forgive me.' Bingley's face fell and he looked concerned.

'What on earth are you talking about Darcy?' He questioned in alarm.

'I speak of Miss Jane Bennet. I was mistaken when I presumed to advise that she did not hold you in her regard and it was a loathsome interference in your private affairs. But this is not the worst of my actions, for the past several months I have also conspired with your sisters to conceal from you her presence in London. It was an act of deceit and I cannot think upon what I have done without abhorrence.' Darcy apologised regretfully, hoping that he was not about to lose one of his closest friends.

Bingley was slow to respond, seeming somewhat confused.

'You mean to tell me that Miss Bennet is in London?' He questioned at length.

Darcy replied in the affirmative.

'And she has loved me all along?'

Darcy nodded again. For a second Bingley remained completely still and then a slow smile began to spread across his face. He grabbed his friend into an unexpected embrace and laughed out loud.

'She loves me. She loves me! But how... when... what changed your mind, Darcy?'

'In Kent, I happened to meet Miss Elizabeth Bennet. I will not bore you with the details right now but she made it clear that her sister's heart had been thoroughly broken.' Darcy answered, trying to steer his friend's attention away from how exactly he had found this out. He was successful, though perhaps not because of his stellar acting skills so much as Bingley's preoccupation with his own situation.

'I have broken her heart. How will she ever forgive me? I must see her at once!' Bingley cried, looking horrified.

'Slow down!' Darcy demanded. 'You do not even have the address.'

'Of course! How am I to find it? I must get there as soon as possible. There is not a second to lose.' Bingley was frantic now.

'Charles, please compose yourself.' Darcy replied. 'I have the address; I took it from your sister when she called upon Miss Bennet months ago. But I am afraid you cannot just turn up there. From what I gather, your sister acted very badly towards Miss Bennet. It was wrong of me to ignore it at the time, but if you charge in there now it will surely not help the lady or her relations to think well of you.'

'No, no, you are right! Darcy, tell me what to do old friend.' Bingley looked at him desperately.

'I believe that is what got us into this mess in the first place Charles.' Darcy said wryly.

Bingley shook his head in disagreement. 'I do not blame you for your advice. You have told me before that I am too liable to listen to the views of others before my own instinct. You were merely looking out for me as you always do. If I were not such a fool you would not have to.'

'You are not a fool.' Darcy replied immediately. 'You're just...'

'Naive? Easily led? Stupid?' Bingley offered.

'Charles,' Darcy looked at him sternly, 'It is no bad thing to have faith in one's friends and family, as you heard Miss Elizabeth tell me so decidedly that evening in Hertfordshire. With such a sister-in-law you shall hardly need my protection anymore.' He reassured the younger man.

'I suppose so.' Bingley smiled, but then suddenly looked more serious again. 'You do not plan to cut ties with me when I marry Miss Bennet, do you, Darcy?'

'Of course not! Why on earth would you think that?' Darcy exclaimed.

'Just something Caroline said.' Bingley replied, blushing at his foolishness.

'Bingley, you are the son of a tradesman and you are my closest friend, I am hardly going to cut ties with you for marrying the daughter of a gentleman just because she has an uncle in Cheapside! Next time your sister tries to disparage Miss Bennet you ought to remind her that in the eyes of society Miss Bennet holds a higher position than she does.'

Bingley thought that over and grinned. 'Yes, yes! I shall be marrying above myself. You are quite correct. That is if she will have me.'

'I have every confidence in your abilities.' Darcy told him, smiling at his friend's humble streak. 'Now, as I see it there are a few options that you may take. The first is that I could give you the address of the place where Miss Bennet is currently residing and you may go alone tomorrow to throw yourself upon her mercy. If you are willing to do this then you are a braver man than I. Knowing the lady's sweet nature it may not be a complete disaster, but it would certainly appear unusual that you should suddenly call after months of staying away.

'What I propose, while still somewhat shaky, is slightly more believable. I may call on her, stating that I learnt of her presence in town from Miss Elizabeth and believed I must pay her some greeting due to our acquaintance in Hertfordshire. I can also use the guise of informing her that I left her sister in good health and perhaps even introduce my own sister to her. You may then accompany me and be able to explain that by some strange mischance you did not find out that she was in town until I expressed my wish of introducing my sister to her and it will seem far more natural.

'You may even make your sisters seem entirely blameless in the matter if you wish. If, say, you did not even accompany us on the initial visit and waited instead for Miss Bennet to call on my sister in return, then feigned complete shock when you bumped into her in the hallway at Darcy house, you could put it all down to a coincidence. What do you think?'

For a moment Bingley just stared back at Darcy, cogs moving in his brain. Then, finally, the plans Darcy had suggested registered and he sprang into action, determined to win back the heart of the woman he loved. Eventually, it was decided that Bingley was not comfortable with the level of deception required for the third plan and that the second was preferable. He would like to make it obvious that he was actively seeking out Miss Bennet's company, leaving her no room to think that he may have known of her presence all along and simply ignored her, then felt he had to lie about it when coming face to face with her unexpectedly. He felt honour bound to be as honest as possible with her without publicly denouncing his sister, so he would accompany Darcy the next morning and hope for her forgiveness.

Despite his previous resolution to let Bingley make his own decisions, Darcy had of course taken the lead in planning the whole scheme. He did not realise that in his efforts to right his wrongs he had once again interfered in the affairs his younger friend, but his failure to completely break the habit of many years immediately is perhaps forgivable. As always, at least, it was done with the best of intentions.

* * *

 **Often in fics when Bingley learns of Darcy's mistake in separating him from Jane he reacts angrily, so I hope it didn't disappoint too many people here by not following that. It just didn't seem to quite work in this story having him rage against Darcy when the way I envisioned him for it** **is so gentle and forgiving. From his POV, Darcy coming forward and admitting to making a mistake is enough to prove that he is a good friend who is only trying to look out for his best interests. As well as this, Bingley's modesty leads him to believe that it is his own fault for being too easily swayed and he should have recognised Jane's regard for him by himself rather than thinking that he needed others to make his decisions for him. :)**

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello! I'm ever so slightly late with this upload as I broke my laptop charger and had to wait for a new one to arrive - sorry about that. Thanks as always to everyone who has followed, favourited or reviewed, your support is amazing. I have experimentally changed the way all of the chapters are formatted in the hopes that this will solve the issues people were having reading bunched together text so let me know if it's better like this.  
Enjoy!**

* * *

Mrs Collins was talking to her maid the morning that the two gentlemen left for London when she remembered the noise that she had heard the day before.

'Oh, Molly, the other morning I heard a rather strange sound in the linen cupboard on the landing. You do not suppose there are mice or rats nesting there do you?' Mrs Collins asked.

'No ma'am, only I thought perhaps you knew but - well-' she trailed off, unable to find the words to explain.

'Knew what?' Her mistress said questioningly, suddenly intent on getting an answer.

'Mr Collins, he was in the cupboard yesterday morning. He gave me such a fright when I opened the door. I asked him what he was doing and he said he was measuring the size for Lady Catherine as she was very particular about these things. Do you really think she cares about the size of the linen cupboard ma'am?' The confused servant asked.

'She cares about a great many things Molly, that it certain.' Mrs Collins replied cryptically, dismissing the girl with a wave of her hand.

So that was it. The cupboard was conveniently close to the door of the guest bedroom that Elizabeth was using and there was no doubt in Mrs Collins's mind that her husband would lower himself to listening through keyholes. There was no need to alarm Elizabeth yet though, the bulk of their conversation had taken place outside where they definitely had not been overheard and it was likely that what little Mr Collins did hear would have no effect. Still, she would need to emphasise to her husband that this behaviour was not at all on. That would have to be seen to later though, for now, she had errands to run.

Around the time that this was occurring, Elizabeth was wandering the groves of the park, enjoying her first solitary walk in days. Since the gentlemen had finally departed that morning, there was no longer any risk that she would stumble into one of them on her morning walk. At last she was able to truly enjoy the wonders of nature again without fearing that Mr Darcy would join her to be intimidating and stern or Colonel Fitzwilliam would meet her and accidentally reveal distressing news.

This allowed her to sort through her thoughts. Charlotte's analysis of Mr Darcy the day before had rather discomposed her. On one hand, he had been undeniably stern and disagreeable in Hertfordshire, but on the other, he had never behaved in such a way as to give real cause to doubt his character. He had certainly not behaved such as to warrant any proof that Mr Wickham's tale was true.

She should have realised before that Wickham had behaved too familiarly, told her too much and contradicted himself too many times when he first told her his story. On this, she resolved to keep her distance from now on and ensure that her sisters did not become too close to him either. It was unclear if there was a more sinister motive behind his lies than merely gaining favour in the community.

The other matter which still concerned her was poor Jane. Although her friend's logic towards Darcy's involvement in the affair was sound, it could not heal her dear sister's broken heart. As Charlotte told it, if Mr Bingley had been in love and been a worthwhile suitor then he would not have been so easily swayed. It pained her to think badly of the cheerful man, but at Netherfield he had readily admitted to having a very changeable mind and if he was so inconsistent then he may not be ready for the commitment of marriage. She only hoped that her sweet sister would be able to come to terms with this and move on. Elizabeth was satisfied with this conclusion to her musings and - safe in the knowledge that she would never meet Mr Darcy or Mr Bingley again - made her way back to the parsonage.

The absence of the gentlemen at Rosings made the Hunsford party's company all the more valuable to Lady Catherine and accordingly that evening they were summoned to dine with her. There was little about this that Elizabeth looked forward to except for the absence of a certain perplexing gentleman whose company could surely not be missed.

As may have been predicted, the great Lady's primary topic of conversation was the departure of her two nephews. Mr Collins listened attentively to this, hoping to give his patroness some comfort by agreeing with her every word and showering her with compliments if ever she found it necessary to pause for breath. Unfortunately, since the departure of Colonel Fitzwilliam, there was very little sensible conversation to be had. Charlotte was occupied with trying to control her husband and Maria had too much deference for their noble hostess to do anything but hang off her every word. Anne de Bourgh and her companion sat in their usual perpetual silence.

At length, Elizabeth felt she could bear it no longer and when she was finally urged by Mrs Collins to perform she accepted the task gratefully. What came as a shock to her was the resolution of the timid Maria Lucas that she should also sing. The two performed duets together admirably and, though she repeated some of her favourite lines on practice and performance, even Lady Catherine could find no real fault.

As they returned to the parsonage, Elizabeth could not help questioning the younger girl on her performance. Though she had a beautiful voice, Maria Lucas had never previously plucked up the courage to sing in public, or even speak a full sentence at Rosings.

'You performed very well tonight, Maria.' She began.

'Thank you.' The younger woman replied absently, tired out from a long evening and paying little heed to her companion.

'I wonder what can have given you the courage to perform. I believed you to be rather afraid of her ladyship.' Elizabeth prompted.

'Oh I am,' Maria admitted, 'but Mr Darcy said that I had nothing to fear, and he is so serious that he must be right.' She told Elizabeth earnestly before scurrying away to her bedchamber.

This left Elizabeth's head spinning with a new oddity presented by Mr Darcy. Now that she thought on it he had spoken to Maria when he and the Colonel called at the parsonage to take their leave but she had been distracted by her conversation with Charlotte and so forgotten. What could have been his motive? This was yet another piece to his character that she just did not understand.

Putting him from her mind, she turned to wish her friend a good night, only to find her muttering about rats in a cupboard. This thoroughly confused Elizabeth, who was left feeling that perhaps Mrs Collins's marriage had begun to addle her brain. Dazed, she climbed the stairs and made her way to bed.

Later that night Mrs Collins sat in her husband's room, beginning her line of attack.

'It is the strangest thing, husband. The other day I heard scuffling in the cupboard and I am absolutely convinced that there must be rats.' She proclaimed.

'I am sure that is not the case - have you looked inside?' Mr Collins tried, anxiously hoping that his wife would not recognise his deception.

'Look inside? I would not dare. There was once a rat infestation at a house in Meryton and the family who lived there were driven out for weeks! I have heard that they bite and bring disease wherever they go. Perhaps I better ask Molly if she has noticed anything.' Charlotte used her best acting skills to convince him that she was truly terrified of the threat posed.

'No! Do not trouble the maid with it.' Mr Collins said desperately, knowing that it was too late to admit he had been in the cupboard and not wishing to make a fool of himself. 'She would only be scared, I am sure if we just let her go about her business then if she notices anything out of the ordinary she will tell you.' He struggled with his word choice.

'Still, it may be best if I ask Lady Catherine what the best course of action is. Her wisdom on household affairs is invaluable to me and I am sure that she knows of some way to ward off vermin.' Charlotte told her husband seriously.

'My dear, surely that is not necessary...' Mr Collins spluttered. He could not let her inform his noble patroness that they had rats, how would that look?

'Perhaps not,' Charlotte pretended to be consoled by her husband's reassurances, 'it may just be my condition making me fearful.'

'Condition?' He gasped out.

'Yes, I believe I am carrying a child.' She informed him, smiling and placing a hand on her stomach.

'Then you must not worry about anything my dear, I shall go now to the closet and ensure myself that there is no vermin so that you may rest easily.'

Mr Collins strode purposefully from the room and made rather a spectacle of rummaging through the cupboard to allay his wife's fears. He was somewhat disappointed to find that Mrs Collins had retreated to her own chamber when he returned, having hoped that they might celebrate the happy news in a more intimate fashion, but reasoned that bearing a child must be a rather tiring business and easily consoled himself. Mr Collins went to sleep feeling that he was surely being rewarded by the lord with a son. He resolved not to listen at doors anymore, as it was far too risky and he could not cause his dear Charlotte distress while she carried his heir.

* * *

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi! Thanks as always to everyone who has followed, favourited or reviewed this story, your support is amazing. I'm glad so many of you like the way I am choosing to portray the characters and I hope that continues as we get further in. In this chapter Bingley and Jane are finally reunited.  
Enjoy! **

* * *

Darcy thankfully left the house in Grosvenor Square and returned to his own before Miss Bingley was able to swoop down upon him. When she found out that he had called and she had missed him she was furious. She had known he was returning to town that day but assuming that he would not call until he was settled a few days she had foolishly accepted an invitation to tea.

On the other hand, the fact that he had not been able to wait a day before visiting them was promising. It was not like Darcy to do anything quickly or on a whim, so perhaps it was a sign of his growing affection for her. Perhaps he had also been disappointed to miss her.

She tried to find out from Charles if he had inquired after her at all but all he did was ramble on about racehorses. At least she would have the chance to show Mr Darcy what a fine horsewoman she was at Pemberley in the summer. She whiled away the afternoon through her brother's ramblings with fantasies of being Mrs Darcy. Unbeknownst to her, Bingley was silently triumphant that he had been successful in keeping secret his plans to woo Miss Bennet again. That Caroline must not yet be informed was a decision he and Darcy had easily agreed on.

Back at Darcy house, Georgiana greeted her brother less timidly after their earlier conversation. He had promised that he would not conceal anything from her anymore and in any case, Bingley was expecting her participation in their plan for the next day, so he would have to acquaint her with all of the facts. He proceeded to tell her the whole story of his acquaintance with Elizabeth Bennet from start to finish.

He was rather worried at what her reaction would be when he explained Wickham's presence and role, but apart from an initial sharp intake of breath, she coped remarkably well with it. Though she was distressed to hear that Elizabeth had been taken in by his tales, this passed quickly when Darcy explained that Charlotte had helped her see the flaws in his tale and he was surprised to feel wetness in his eyes when Georgiana exclaimed that she was glad Elizabeth had someone to save her from Wickham as her brother had saved her. Having resolved to think of Wickham no more now that his manipulative nature and skill had been truly confirmed, Georgiana quickly immersed herself in the joyful prospect of her brother falling in love and giving her a sister.

Darcy's heart swelled with love as his little sister tried to defend his every action and as she wrinkled her nose at every foolish remark of Miss Bingley's that he repeated. By the end of his tale, Georgiana was desperate to meet Elizabeth Bennet in person and judge for herself the woman who (at least in her mind) was about to become the new Mrs Darcy. Her sweet nature could not allow her to believe that anyone could really dislike her dear brother and she was sure that the second he worked up the confidence to propose all of their differences would be resolved.

'Now dearest, I must ask a favour.' Darcy said. 'Will you accompany me to call on the eldest Miss Bennet tomorrow morning? I am afraid I have behaved very poorly in respect to Bingley and Miss Bennet and now it is my responsibility to reunite them.'

'Of course brother,' Georgiana replied immediately, for her young heart had been easily touched by the tale of Bingley and Jane's separation and she longed for things to be set to rights, 'we must not delay for a second longer than is necessary.'

Following his sister's sage advice, after they had dined Darcy met with his steward and housekeeper that evening so that they would not be delayed by business in the morning.

Darcy awoke feeling better-rested thanks to a night in his own bed and house. He purposefully rose later than he usually would, knowing that the wait until the acceptable time for callers in town would be insufferable otherwise. By the time he had dressed and made his way to the breakfast-parlour, his sister was also present. He greeted her and went over to his waiting coffee and newspaper sitting at the head of the table. Relieved to be free from the tense atmosphere of Rosings, he found that his appetite was much larger than it had been and piled his plate generously.

The butler had been instructed to show Mr Bingley straight to them when he arrived and so he did, though rather later than he had been expected.

'Good morning Miss Darcy, is it not a fine day?' Bingley greeted her as he entered.

'Indeed sir.' Miss Darcy replied, still not entirely comfortable with conversing with her brother's friends (particularly one who had such unpleasant sisters). Prompted by her brother she left to prepare to go out and Darcy turned to his friend.

'What on earth took you so long?' He asked.

'I had to escape Caroline,' Bingley explained, 'she was quite determined that if I was coming here she should accompany me. I had to persuade her that we were going out to do business and she would not be able to see you at all. Anyway, tell me, Darcy, how do I look? Am I acceptable?'

'The lady will swoon just looking at you.' Darcy replied drily, relieved that after a night to think it over his friend still did not seem to blame him at all for his misdeeds. 'Now come, I see that my sister is ready to leave and I believe it an acceptable hour for us to call at Gracechurch Street.'

The trio settled into the Darcy carriage and it set off, bumping along the busy street towards their destination. Bingley's foot tapped impatiently at the wait. Darcy envied him. What he would give to have Miss Elizabeth so close by and pining for him. He shook his head slightly to rid himself of that thought. He doubted very much that Miss Elizabeth would ever pine, and if she did it would certainly not be for him.

Georgiana grasped onto her brother's hand and smiled in anticipation of the trip. He had told her that Miss Bennet was very kind and very beautiful but seemed to have noticed very little else about the lady since he had been so fixated on her sister. She hoped that she would be able to hold her nerve and converse with these strangers as she knew that one day they would very likely be family.

In what seemed to her like no time at all but was obviously an eternity to poor Bingley they pulled up at the address Darcy had given to the driver. Bingley was ready to jump down when Darcy reached out.

'Charles, perhaps it would be better if I ...?'

* * *

Inside the house, Jane Bennet sat in the front parlour sewing while the eldest of her young cousins practised her playing and her Aunt Gardiner read a book. A servant entered and presented Mr Darcy's calling card.

'What on earth can this mean Jane? Mr Darcy has come to call on us.' Mrs Gardiner questioned her niece, shocked that the man who her dear Lizzy had described so negatively was suddenly at her door.

'I do not know Aunt. But Mr Darcy must have just returned to town from Kent. Perhaps he brings news from Lizzy?'

'Indeed. I suppose we best see him. Allow the gentleman to enter Betsy.'

'Yes, ma'am.' The young serving girl complied obediently. A moment later Mr Darcy appeared, followed by his sister.

'Good afternoon Miss Bennet.' He bowed and Miss Bennet curtsied in return.  
'Mr Darcy, allow me to introduce my Aunt, Madeline Gardiner.' Jane performed the proper introduction.

'A pleasure Madam. This is my sister, Miss Georgiana Darcy.' She curtsied. Jane realised that this was the woman who had supplanted her in Mr Bingley's affections and felt a bitter stab in the pit of her stomach.

'It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Darcy.' She said calmly, despite the pain she felt inside.

'And you too Miss Bennet, I have heard much about you.' Georgiana smiled shyly, her eyes wide. In that moment Jane's heart melted as she realised this was not the confident, talented woman that Miss Bingley had described but a nervous young girl. Could it be possible that Miss Bingley had lied about the likelihood of a relationship forming between her and Mr Bingley? It certainly did not seem like Miss Darcy was ready for marriage, or even likely to be out in society yet.

Then Mr Bingley entered the room and Jane lost all trace of coherent thought. He was here. He was exactly as she had remembered him. He was perfect. She still loved him.

'Miss Bennet,' Bingley smiled, 'what a pleasure it is to meet you again. How amazed I was to hear from Darcy just yesterday that you were staying in town! I understand that you have been here for several months and cannot fathom how I was not aware, I assure you I would have called far sooner had I known.'

'Well I am sure you must be very busy sir, such a thing could easily have slipped your mind.' Jane replied demurely, feeling a blush rise to her cheeks. Could it really be that he had not known? Was it a simple misunderstanding that had kept them apart for all these months?

'No, No, I assure you!' Cried Bingley, 'I have not been busy at all, indeed I have been quite desolate these last months since Darcy and his cousin were in Kent and my sisters are always out. But what am I thinking? Surely you are wishing for me to be quiet so that you may hear of your sister!' Jane's heart burst with joy to hear the way in which he spoke again. The months of melancholy wore away as he grinned at her and she dared to hope that he may also feel the same. The attention turned to Darcy and he realised that he should speak.

'I left Miss Elizabeth in perfect health at Hunsford yesterday. She and Mrs Collins were in high spirits when I last saw her. I understand she is to join you here in about a fortnight so that you may journey back to Hertfordshire together Miss Bennet?'

'So soon?' Mr Bingley cut in, his face falling before Miss Bennet had a chance to respond. Sensing that the long parted couple were in need of some privacy, Mrs Gardiner turned to the Darcy's and engaged them in conversation.

'I grew up in the town of Lambton, not five miles from Pemberley. Though it is many years since I have been back there now, it still holds the dearest place in my heart. Are the peaks of Derbyshire not the most beautiful to be found anywhere in the world?' Mrs Gardiner began. Darcy smiled immediately; there were not many topics which he found it easy to converse on with strangers, but the beauty of his home county was one of them.

'Indeed Mrs Gardiner, I have travelled all over the country and even to the continent but have never found a place that suits me more than my home. I am quite certain that Derbyshire has the most perfect balance of wilderness and beauty that a man could wish for and am always pleased to make the acquaintance of anyone who agrees...'

This allowed Mr Bingley to take Miss Bennet to the side and converse with her quietly, each acquainting the other with all that they had missed in their months apart. This turned out to be very little, for both had spent most of the time pining for the other and doing little else, but they were quickly able to jump onto other topics as lost in each other as they were.

Around three-quarters of an hour passed in this manner before the group began to realise that they must soon depart. Stammering, Georgiana requested that Miss Bennet feel free to call on her at any time and as expected Miss Bennet graciously accepted the invitation. A more spiteful woman may have made Miss Darcy wait as Miss Bingley had done to her, but Jane Bennet was not spiteful at all and so promised to call the next day but one, for they already had plans on the morrow.

* * *

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello again!**

 **Thank you for the favourites, follows and reviews. I'm glad so many readers seem to be liking the direction my story is taking. We're back in Hunsford with Lizzy and Charlotte for this chapter.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Little happened at Hunsford the next day which was a pleasant respite for Elizabeth. She was able to relax back into the pattern she had been following before the gentlemen arrived at Rosings and make the most of the time left with her friend. It pleased her to see how well Charlotte was growing accustomed to married life and relaxed her somewhat to see that Charlotte was not suffering overtly from her decision to marry such a man. They were able to spend several hours in conversation over the course of the day and rather than speaking on heavier topics they laughed and teased as they once had done in Meryton.

That evening they did not dine at Rosings and none except perhaps Mr Collins mourned this fact. The gentleman in question was however consoled by the knowledge that his wife was carrying his future heir. Though he respected her request to leave off informing her friends and family for the moment, his spirits were high and he was unable to go more than a few moments without glancing at her stomach to see if he could yet make out the bulge of the babe. Thankfully for the wishes of Mrs Collins, Elizabeth and Maria were unable to differentiate this from Mr Collins's other odd behaviours and so did not realise what it entailed.

The morning following this Elizabeth was greeted by a letter from her eldest sister. While she could not anticipate that Jane's spirits would have improved at all since she last wrote, she opened it eagerly, missing her closest confidant. Its contents shocked her exceedingly after the revelations of recent days, but her confusion was overpowered by joy for the happiness that events had brought her dear Jane. The missive read as follows:

 _Dearest Lizzy,_

 _I would offer the usual pleasantries of our health and the weather, but I cannot concentrate to write on them and know you will take little pleasure from reading them in any case. Let me tell you instead what I know you have been waiting many months to hear. Mr Bingley has called!_

 _Well, that is not entirely correct. It was really Mr Darcy who called to inform me that he had left you in good health in Kent as well as to introduce his sister._ _Mr Bingley only found out that I was residing in town just yesterday and accompanied them to pay the visit. He apologised most graciously and seemed quite distraught that he may have caused offence! It seems that it was merely an accident that he was never told and that is why he did not pay the visit earlier. I confess to being so distracted by his presence that I paid little heed to what Mr Darcy was speaking of with our Aunt, but I remembered myself about halfway through the call and was able to be more composed._

 _In relation to Miss Bingley's claims of her brother and Miss Darcy, I can find no proof that any of them were at all true. Miss Darcy appeared to be a sweet girl but was also extraordinarily shy. Although tall and very accomplished she is really only a girl. I believe she is sixteen but, unlike our sisters, she is not confident for her age and does not seem to take much pleasure from being in company. I had some success in coaxing her into conversation of music and books, but in a larger group, she seemed to lack the courage to speak to anyone at length other than her brother._ _She spoke to the other gentleman not at all, though I know it is wrong of me to have noticed this._ _We are engaged to return Miss Darcy's visit in two mornings time and I hope that I shall be able to make her more comfortable around me._

 _I can only conclude dearest that you were correct all along. Mr Bingley does care for me and in return, I care for him. He is still the best man I have ever known. I can only hope that more joy will follow. Pray for me that I may greet you in London with even happier news._

 _Your loving sister,  
_ _Jane_

Elizabeth was thrilled to observe that Jane was so obviously happy with Mr Bingley's renewed attention and hoped that it would turn out for the best. Although she still held some concerns about Bingley's consistency, Jane's assurances that his apologies had been sincere must count for something. Of course, this was the same Jane who had believed Caroline Bingley sweet and kind. No matter, Elizabeth had faith that Aunt Gardiner would judge the situation wisely and ensure that Jane was protected. The fact that the union now presumably had Mr Darcy's support was a good indicator. It seemed that where Darcy led Bingley would follow.

She was more nervous about Darcy's involvement. She had been quite certain she would never see the man again, but if her sister married his close friend (and now that they were reunited she was certain that they would marry) then this eventuality was unlikely. Though she really had no reason to fear him, he seemed to discompose her in a way that no one else could. She would have to be certain to keep her temper in check and remember Charlotte's advice for Jane's sake.

It seemed odd that he should go back on his resolution to keep the couple apart by being the means of reintroducing them. Might she dare to think that she had had a hand making up for any previous slips in her family's behaviour and shown Mr Darcy that her sister was an ideal match for Bingley after all? Of course, it was possible that Colonel Fitzwilliam's assumption had been wrong and Bingley had not been the friend Darcy spoke of at all. There was a chance that it really was an accident that Bingley had only just been informed of Jane's whereabouts, but it seemed rather unlikely.

Brushing this aside, Elizabeth turned to Charlotte who was seated in the same parlour attending to some needlework.

'I have just had a letter from Jane.' She said to her friend.

'Oh?' Charlotte replied questioningly, knowing that there must be more to this news to warrant sharing it.

'Mr Bingley has called on her.' Elizabeth answered.

'Why Eliza, that is excellent news!' Charlotte exclaimed in response.

'Yes, apparently he only just found out that she was residing in London,' she paused for a second and looked at her friend, 'from Mr Darcy.'

'And do you still object so strongly to that gentleman now?' Charlotte asked meaningfully.

'I confess I hardly know what to think.' Elizabeth told her. 'But a very wise friend once told me that I should not be a simpleton and let my fancy for one man make me appear unpleasant in the eyes of another ten times his consequence. I believe I shall attempt to take her advice and be cordial towards Mr Darcy if we meet again. That is - until he provides me with a more sturdy reason to dislike him.' This last sentence was said with a teasing grin.

'Oh Lizzy, you are hopeless.' Her friend responded, laughing. Then she grew more serious again. 'I shall be quite lost without you.'

'Dearest Charlotte, you will hardly know I am gone.' Lizzy promised, taking her friend's hand. 'I shall write so consistently that you become sick of hearing from me and it will feel like you have merely blinked before I next visit. Besides, you are forgetting that I will most likely end an old maid and have to content myself with living on your charity when you become mistress of Longbourn, teaching your twelve children to sing and embroider cushions very ill.'

At this Charlotte brightened and her hand moved to her stomach. Elizabeth followed her friend's movement and gasped

'Charlotte, are you -?'

'I believe so.' She admitted, smiling. Elizabeth beamed in return and pulled her friend into a tight embrace.

'There you see, you shall not miss me at all for you will be far too busy preparing for the baby! How long have you known about it?' She queried excitedly.

'I have suspected for a few weeks now, although I did not want it to become general knowledge until I was certain. My husband of course knows, but I have requested he not spread it yet. In truth, I am hoping to avoid the advice of our noble patroness for as long as I am able. Mr Collins is convinced that it shall be his son and heir. I do not know how he shall react if it is a girl!'

'Oh Charlotte,' Elizabeth laughed at the absurdity of her cousin, 'just promise me that whether it is a girl or a boy you shall ensure it takes after its mother and not its father.'

Charlotte tried to disapprove of her friend's comment but could not help laughing and assuring Elizabeth that this would be the case.

* * *

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello!**

 **Thank you so much for all the support you are giving this story. This chapter is a nice long one. We're back in London for the next few chapters now so that Jane and Bingley can sort themselves out and Darcy, Bingley and the Colonel can get some plotting done.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Jane awoke on the morning of her visit to the Darcy house bursting with anticipation. Would she see Mr Bingley there? The question pounded in her head. She brushed it aside, telling herself that she would be just as pleased to make a new friend in Miss Darcy, whether or not her brother's friend was present.

 _But you want to see him._ A small voice in the back of her mind betrayed her resolve. _Enough._ She thought in response. _I am a calm and collected lady. I must not become so flustered by a gentleman who has merely been kind and courteous towards me._ With this in mind, she rose and dressed for the day. If she did take a little more care than usual it could be excused by the fact that she was paying a visit to a very wealthy family. It had nothing to do with Mr Bingley.

Breakfast in the Gardiner household was a simple affair, led as it was by the demands from the four young Gardiner children for the attention of their parents and cousin. With this soon over, Jane had nought to do but wait upon her Aunt to be ready to depart. In her excitement, she had written to her sister the very day Bingley called, so could not write again before she received the reply, and her hands were currently too unsteady to take up her needlework.

She was not an impatient person by nature, but it seemed to take an age before her aunt announced that they could finally leave. Once settled into the carriage her aunt took her hand and squeezed it.

'You have no need for nerves dear. Things have a way of turning out as they should. You will see.'

She tried to smile in response to Aunt Gardiner's words of wisdom but was not sure she did a particularly convincing job. _Be calm. Be kind._ She told herself firmly. _Focus on Miss Darcy, not Mr Bingley._ She could do this. Everything was going to be alright.

Bingley arrived at Darcy house early that morning. This was partly motivated by his eagerness to meet with Miss Bennet, but he was well aware that she would not arrive until far later and his primary motivation had been leaving his house before he could be spotted and questioned by his sister. Indeed, it was so early that Miss Darcy was not even up yet, but luckily Darcy was never able to adjust properly to town hours and had risen some time ago.

To Bingley's dismay, Darcy informed him that they would be meeting with Colonel Fitzwilliam to discuss a matter of some importance that day. Sensing his friend's distress, Darcy assured him that they would not miss the entirety of Miss Bennet's visit as his cousin had business to attend to that morning. It was likely that if the guests arrived around the time he expected then Bingley would have the best part of an hour with his angel.

This would also leave Georgiana some time to speak alone with the women he hoped would soon become a part of their own family, but he did not mention this to Bingley. Much as he trusted his close friend, he did not feel up to disclosing his seemingly doomed attraction to a lady who was likely soon to become Bingley's sister in law. There was no point in putting a dampener on Bingley's happiness, or worse, discovering what his ideas of matchmaking looked like. No, his sister and cousin would be allies enough in that field.

The friends ate a hearty breakfast together and by the time Darcy's sister had emerged Bingley was beginning to regret his early morning. Darcy only smirked at his friend's tiredness, flipping a page of his newspaper and sipping his coffee. He was used to rising with the sun to attend to estate business and it was a skill his young friend would have to learn if he wished to be a good master. A certain gentlewoman from Hertfordshire, used to keeping country times, would surely help with that. This sidetracked his thoughts onto another gentlewoman from Hertfordshire who Darcy might like to spend his own early mornings with and he had to halt that thought immediately. It was definitely _not_ something that he should be thinking about when he was in company.

Thankfully, the two ladies did not choose to make a late call and were soon being welcomed into Darcy house. It was the finest townhouse that either had entered before. Though they had been expecting it, neither could quite believe the impressive style and elegant furnishings which though showing good taste were none the less obviously expensive.

Mrs Gardiner was not a woman to be easily awestruck and though she was a little intimidated she was certain not to show it, keeping her composure and hoping that her niece would follow her lead. Taking on the role of hostess, Georgiana left the breakfast parlour when the guests were announced and met them in the hallway so that she could lead them to a sitting room.

'Mrs Gardiner, Miss Bennet, how wonderful to meet you again!' Georgiana greeted them, far more confident when in familiar surroundings and with her brother's assurances that she had done well on their first meeting.

'And you, Miss Darcy. You have a very beautiful home here; it was most kind of you to welcome us into it.' Mrs Gardiner replied politely, smiling at the young woman.

'Thank you, madam.' Georgiana beamed in response. She then led her guests through to the sitting room where her brother, Mr Bingley and Mrs Annesly were waiting.

The gentlemen bowed and the ladies curtseyed while Georgiana performed the only necessary introduction. 'Mrs Gardiner, Miss Bennet, my companion, Mrs Annesly.'

Darcy watched Miss Bennet's face intently as she entered the room and was satisfied to see that she blushed when she noticed Mr Bingley's presence, her eyes lingering on him slightly longer than was necessary. _Good._ He thought. He had already heard Elizabeth's declaration of her sister's love for Bingley, but he had to see some indication with his own eyes to be truly satisfied.

At the same time, Mrs Gardiner noticed the intense way that Mr Darcy scrutinised Jane and pondered for a second on the thought that this man may also harbour a tendre for her niece. The moment did not last for long though and Mrs Gardiner reminded herself that it was highly unlikely for such a high up gentleman to form an attachment to one of her nieces. If there was an attraction, it would pass and would certainly not be acted on.

Mrs Annesly coughed and looked pointedly at her young charge.

'Would you care for tea?' Georgiana asked both women, remembering her duties as a hostess. When they replied in the affirmative she rang for it to be brought and they settled into their seats, ready for conversation.

Mrs Annesly and Mrs Gardiner did an admirable job of keeping a steady flow of sensible conversation going, allowing the younger members of the party to intercede when they wished to but not putting any pressure on them.

Mr Darcy watched in amazement as one-half of the dreaded relations in trade proved to be a perfectly sensible woman. How was this woman related to Mrs Bennet? He supposed that the blood relation was through Mr Gardiner, but surely this woman could not have married a completely insensible man. Of course, Mrs Collins was the living proof that a wife may be more sensible than her husband...

Whatever the explanation, Mrs Gardiner appeared perfectly amiable and Miss Bennet was as poised and elegant as always. It comforted him to think that these were two relations at least whose company he would easily be able to bear if he was successful in winning Miss Elizabeth's hand.

 _And if she connects herself to me, she shall have Lady Catherine to bear._ A thought suddenly popped unbidden into his head. Elizabeth had spent many evenings with Lady Catherine and there could be no denying the unpleasant way in which she asserted herself. No, Elizabeth would certainly not be the only one bringing undesirable relations to the union.

He shook himself out of this, hoping that he had not been too obvious in his inattention to the goings on around him. Despite her preoccupation with Bingley, Miss Bennet had managed to engage Georgiana in a quiet conversation and he was pleased to see his sister smiling frequently at the other lady's gentle comments.

Seeing that he was not needed, he excused himself to the corner of the room to look over some letters of business which had been neglected since his return to town. Although he had done some work the day before, plotting and fantasising over Elizabeth had not proved conducive to getting things done.

Looking up a little later, he suddenly realised the time. If they did not hurry they would be late to meet with the Colonel. Guiltily he tore Bingley away from his angel. Jane Bennet would be there another day; Wickham must be dealt with now.

As they prepared to leave, he was surprised to be quietly approached by Mrs Gardiner. She quickly requested his permission to invite them for dinner the following week, explaining that she wished to pay Miss Darcy her due as the hostess and issue the invitation to her, but did not want to ask her to agree to anything which went against his wishes when she was not yet out in society. He confirmed that he would be pleased to dine with the Gardiner family if his sister agreed and that he would pass the invitation along to Bingley, thanking the lady for her consideration. He then had to extract Bingley who had been distracted over his goodbyes to Miss Bennet and they were able to set off.

Jane was disappointed when Mr Darcy rose and announced that he and Bingley were required elsewhere on business. The gentlemen bowed and Mr Bingley lingered by her side a little longer, expressing his hopes that they would all soon meet again. She returned this sentiment in a heartfelt manner.

Mr Darcy also took his leave politely, giving his sister a special smile which he reserved only for her. Jane noticed that he paused for a moment in private conversation with her Aunt, but was not able to hear what was said and was too focused on Mr Bingley to remember later. As they departed, she rallied her spirits tolerably. She was very much enjoying her conversation with Miss Darcy, which had turned to the novels of a particular author who was a favourite of them both.

Georgiana was completely taken with this sincere, kind woman who shared some of her interests. Having never had a sister, Miss Bennet's funny tales of all four of hers amused her no end. She particularly hung on to any morsel which she could glean about Miss Elizabeth, hoping to get to know the woman who her brother intended to marry and save up any new information to pass on which could help him to win her heart.

There was a stark contrast between Miss Bennet and the society women such as Miss Bingley who Georgiana had come to expect, always preening and backstabbing and trying to use her to get to her brother. In a burst of confidence after the two had finished laughing over a tale of Miss Bennet's early musical attempts, she decided that she wished to be on a first name basis with her new friend.

'Perhaps you would call me Georgiana?' She asked timidly, eyes wide for fear of refusal.

'Of course! And you must call me Jane.' The other woman replied, her heart melting at the sweet request of the lonely girl.

The two beamed at each other, satisfied that they had formed such a friendship, and moved on to other topics. Mrs Gardiner and Mrs Annesly sitting close by were unnoticed by the pair. They smiled at the joy of their younger companions, remembering what it was like to be so innocent and open-hearted.

Meanwhile, in a house in Grosvenor Street, Miss Bingley had lost her patience. She had not yet caught sight of Mr Darcy since his return from Kent and that morning when she had risen her brother had already been gone. She waited around the house for a while, hoping that he may return with Darcy in tow, but soon she grew bored of this.

Finally, she resolved to call on Miss Darcy at Darcy house. Cultivating a friendship with the sister would undoubtedly bring her closer to her aim of becoming Mrs Darcy and she could also encourage the young woman to form an attachment to her brother in order to seal the family connection. Of course, there was also a good chance that Mr Darcy himself may be present and seek to greet her when she arrived, having been away for so long. Dressing finely in the latest fashion, she took a minute to admire her reflection (what could that horrible, coarse Miss Eliza have on her?) and then departed.

The women in the Darcy sitting room had completely lost track of time, enjoying themselves as much as they were. It was not until a servant entered to announce Miss Bingley was at the door that Mrs Gardiner realised they had been there well over an hour. Remembering the last unpleasant encounter she had had with Miss Bingley, she thought it might be best for them to leave now. She did not want to create tension between Miss Darcy and the other lady, unpleasant though she was.

Voicing her intention that it may be time for them to depart, she was suddenly interrupted.

'Please don't leave.' Georgiana blurted out to Jane. 'I am not sure that I can face that woman alone.'

'Miss Darcy.' Mrs Annesly cautioned, reminding her charge to display the behaviour fitting of a proper lady.

'We will not leave if you do not wish it.' Jane was quick to reassure, glancing at her aunt. She did not want to see her new friend distressed.

'No, do not worry. I have met Miss Bingley before, I understand completely.' Mrs Gardiner backed her niece up, relieved to find that the unpleasant woman did not have influence over the sweet younger girl. With this it was decided, Miss Darcy asked the servant to show Miss Bingley into the sitting room and the group remained convened as they had been.

Miss Bingley was not pleased to be kept waiting when she arrived at Darcy house. Surely the servant could just have informed her that Miss Darcy was present and allowed her to enter, it was not as though she was going to be turned away! She swept into the hall as though she owned it, making sure to look down her nose at the man who made her wait and thinking of the deference he would pay her when she became Mrs Darcy.

He led her to the sitting room that Miss Darcy favoured and announced her. To her shock and horror, she did not walk in to find Miss Darcy sitting with only her companion Mrs Annesly as usual. Instead, none other than Jane Bennet and her lowly aunt from Gracechurch Street were present.

The polite greetings were made, but the ease that had existed before Miss Bingley's entrance did not return. Any attempts at conversation that were made were immediately pounced upon by Miss Bingley as an opportunity to try to show her good breeding while putting down Miss Bennet and Mrs Gardiner.

By chance, upon Miss Bingley's request to see how her work progressed, Miss Darcy asked for Miss Bennet to pass her a piece of embroidery that she had left nearby. During this interaction, Miss Bingley heard the two women use each other's first names. She almost spat out a mouthful of tea in shock. She had spent months dropping hints that Miss Darcy should use her first name to no avail and here she was speaking to Jane Bennet as familiarly as if they had known each other their whole lives.

The stilted conversation could continue for only so long and eventually even Mrs Gardiner could think of nothing else to say. She concluded that her only option was to issue the dinner invitation that she had been saving until they said their goodbyes.

'Miss Darcy, my niece and I would like to take this opportunity to invite you and your brother to dine with us next Tuesday. We would be very grateful for your company.' Mrs Gardiner began politely.

'Oh, how wonderful! I am sure that we would be most pleased to attend.' Replied Georgiana enthusiastically, rather upset that Miss Bingley had ruined their wonderful morning and eager to see her new friend again soon. Unbidden, Miss Bingley cut into their conversation.

'Well let us not be hasty, should you not consult your brother on such a decision, Miss Darcy? After all, he may not wish for you to make commitments on his behalf.' Miss Bingley said desperately, unsure how in the space of two days all her hard work seemed to have been turned around.

An awkward silence followed this as the other women stared at her in shock, finding it difficult to believe that she would be so openly rude. Mrs Gardiner was loathe to reveal that she had already received Mr Darcy's consent as she didn't wish to embarrass Miss Darcy any further by suggesting she had no authority of her own, so she quickly thought up a different response.

'I am sure that Miss Darcy has no intention of making commitments on her brother's behalf and merely wished to express her gratitude for the invitation madam. She can hardly consult him now for as you see he is not present. You and your brother will be most welcome to attend as well.'

'Thank you, madam, but I believe we may have a prior engagement.' Miss Bingley claimed stiffly, certain that after she had spoken to Mr Darcy he would be able to put an end to this madness.

 _He must not know that his poor sister has somehow accidentally befriended these two completely inappropriate people._ She thought to herself. Yes, that would be it. Somehow she would have bumped into them on the streets and recognising her name they would have persuaded her that they were friends of her brother in order to try to reach the Darcy fortune. How grateful Mr Darcy would be that she was here to foil their plot.

At that very moment, the two gentlemen returned from their meeting with the Colonel.

'Caroline!' Bingley exclaimed as he entered the room, surprised to see his sister there uninvited. 'What on earth are you doing here?'

'I am just visiting my friend, Charles.' Miss Bingley retorted, horrified that it was somehow she who her brother saw as the imposter and not the other two guests.

Miss Darcy looked like she disagreed with Miss Bingley's definition of the word friend. Sensing that no one else was going to take the lead, Mrs Gardiner was once again left to smooth over the frosty atmosphere.

'We were just issuing an invitation to dine with us next Tuesday gentlemen. There was some debate over whether you would be able to attend. Do you have any prior engagements?'

'No, I am quite available. I shall be delighted to attend, Mrs Gardiner.' Bingley replied immediately, thrilled that he would be able to spend to whole evening with Jane.

'But Charles, I promised the Willoughton's that we would dine with them that evening.' His sister contradicted him. The Willoughton's had two daughters of marriageable age, each far more suitable for her brother than Jane Bennet, with large dowries and a good deal of influence in the ton.

'I never agreed to that Caroline, you shall have to tell them that I cannot attend.' Her brother replied stubbornly.

'Charles-' She began, determined to have her way, but he cut her off.

'No, I have heard enough. In the future, you should consult me before making arrangements on my behalf.' Considering Miss Bingley's earlier warning to her, Georgiana shared a discreet smile with Jane at the irony of this statement.

'I can rearrange to a different day if it would help sir.' Mrs Gardiner assured him, not wanting to create a scene, but Bingley would not be moved.

'Thank you for your kindness madam, but that will not be at all necessary. We would not want to inconvenience you. I will be pleased to attend but unfortunately my sister cannot due to her previous engagement. I'm afraid we must take our leave now.' Bingley stuck to his resolve and made a hasty exit despite wanting to stay in Miss Bennet's company for longer. It was time he had a serious talk with his sister.

Mrs Gardiner and Miss Bennet did not feel they could stay long after the departure of the Bingley's, but goodbyes were said on far more relaxed terms. An invitation was also extended to Colonel Fitzwilliam to join their dinner party, as while neither woman had met him they had heard so much of him through his cousins and Elizabeth that they were certain he would be a welcome addition. Mr Darcy assured them that he would pass the invitation on.

He also noticed his sister and Miss Bennet addressing each other by their given names and was surprised but pleased. His sister was not one to make friends quickly, but then he supposed that through his letters from Hertfordshire she had really known the Bennets since the previous autumn. With that, they returned to Gracechurch Street and each party looked forward to their next meeting. That is to say, all except Miss Bingley.

* * *

 **Next up we'll find out what Darcy, Bingley and the Colonel got up to. Thanks for reading! :)**

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello!**

 **Here is what Darcy, Bingley and the Colonel were up to while Caroline was being a pest at Darcy House. I'm glad so many of you enjoyed her getting a bit of a set down from her brother using the same rebuke she had tried to throw at Georgiana. Thank you to everyone who has followed/favourited and is leaving reviews.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

After their guests had departed Darcy thankfully withdrew to his study to review the developments of the morning, leaving Georgiana and Mrs Annesly to their private work. Sitting back in his comfortable chair, Darcy closed his eyes and contemplated what had taken place after he and Bingley had left Darcy house.

Upon their arrival at Matlock house, they were led straight up to the small second-floor study that was reserved for the Colonel's private use. It was helpfully tucked in an out of the way corner where they were unlikely to be overheard. Still knowing little of what was going on, Bingley felt like he was a schoolboy again, hiding away and plotting some scheme. Though, he reflected, it was unlikely that Darcy had ever been part of an illicit scheme, even as a schoolboy.

They found the Colonel waiting for them, a large map of England spread out on the table in the centre of the room with chess pieces spread across it. As Darcy drew closer he saw that each figure was accompanied by a name. Of the white pieces, the Colonel had made himself the queen, with Darcy as a bishop and Bingley a rook. The king, the one they were trying to protect, was Georgiana and Lady Catherine was a knight, though Darcy fancied this was only because it was the piece which bore the closest resemblance to a dragon.

Their other relations and Richard's military contacts made up the remaining white pieces. Wickham was the black queen, his various known contacts spread around the map as other black pieces alongside several marked simply with question marks. It was a rather clever system of representing the location of all the people involved and their potential roles, though Darcy hoped that Bingley would not observe it too closely and infer Georgiana's involvement. He and his cousin had agreed that this was still too delicate to be shared.

'Bingley, what we are here to discuss concerns a man by the name of George Wickham. You met him briefly in Hertfordshire, do you remember?' Darcy told his friend, not beating around the bush.

'Yes, I believe I do. He was the son of your father's steward if I remember correctly. I remember Miss Bennet inquiring as to your acquaintance with him, but I could tell her little other than that I did not believe him to be trusted.' Bingley related.

'You were correct. He is not at all to be trusted. Though I hid it from my father, who adored Wickham, he was a scoundrel of the first order. As he grew his habits became increasingly dissolute. He created debts wherever he went, but worse were the debts of honour. Using his considerable charm he wormed his way into people's favour and interfered with several young women. I know for a fact that he has left more than one bastard child in his wake.' Darcy revealed sombrely.

'That is terrible.' Bingley responded, looking shocked. 'But why are you telling me this now? Has something happened?'

'Nothing in particular,' He lied, 'it is only what has been happening in general that has led to this. You see, following the death of my father I gave Wickham a sum of three thousand pounds on top of the thousand he was left in lieu of the living at Kympton. We both agreed that the church would not suit him and he expressed some intention of studying law instead.

'When the living became available again, he once more approached me. He had spent the original sum and now wished to take up the position, having no means to provide for himself. I refused to give it to him. His failure in the field of law, if he ever even attempted it at all, only confirmed what I had suspected of his character. I could not in good conscience allow him to become responsible for the wellbeing of a community knowing him to be at best lazy and at worst dishonourable.

'What became of him in the years between then and now I do not know, but in Hertfordshire, our paths crossed once more. There he used the general dislike of me to spread a tale of his woe in which I was the villain. Through this, he was able to gain favour and has undoubtedly accumulated debts once more.

'I can no longer content myself to stand by and watch him hurt innocent people, but I also know that he has knowledge that could harm the reputations of many women and he will use it to avoid the hand of the law. We must find some way of preventing his behaviour without allowing anyone else to be harmed in the process.' The cousins had previously agreed that there was no need to inform Bingley of Wickham's escapade with Georgiana. His other offences would be enough.

'I see.' Bingley answered. 'But is there no chance he may reform? He is part of the army now and surely will not risk disciplinary action.'

Darcy looked towards the Colonel who would now play his part.

'I wish I could agree with you, but I'm afraid it seems you are not correct. For the past few days I have been researching Wickham's recent activities through my contacts and it seems he is already escaping his debtors in town. In Meryton, too, his debts have built up and there are rumours that he is pursuing a lady named Miss King who has recently inherited ten thousand pounds. His only aim can be to use her fortune for his own benefit.' Richard told them solemnly. The men exchanged dark looks.

'That cannot be allowed to happen. I will not stand by and let an innocent woman become shackled to him for life. Do you have any suggestions?' Darcy responded.

'Not until Wickham shows more of his hand.' His cousin told him. 'He cannot live the lifestyle he does without having taken some sort of precaution that ensures no one can either harm him or have him thrown in prison. I would guess that he has left a record of his… _activities_ , shall we say, with one of his associates to be released if he fails to make weekly or perhaps monthly contact. I am having him and the contacts we know of watched in the hope that we will be able to find out who this is and when we do I can have any evidence destroyed.

'In the meantime, we should plan how to confront Wickham once his protection has been removed. I assume you are still opposed to having him removed in a more permanent fashion. Unless you are willing to consider debtors prison, I see little we can do to him that will curb his habits without causing him harm, and legal action still runs the risk of him making verbal accusations against women he has taken advantage of even if he has no remaining physical proof to back it up.'

'I am not sure I can betray the memory of my father by letting his godson go to prison, no matter how much he may deserve it, and as you say that does not ensure the safety of those Wickham had used. I certainly cannot condone whatever 'permanent fashion' of removing him you have in mind. No, that will not do. We will have to think of something else.' Darcy replied firmly.

Bingley listened to this exchange thoughtfully. An idea began to grow in the back of his mind.

'Could you make him leave the country?' The young man suggested. He was met with looks of confusion, so elaborated. 'Offer him passage to somewhere far away - perhaps America - and send him off with a small sum of money. He can make a new start for himself and if he does return to his old habits then he will have to face justice. You will be too far away to intercede and can content yourself that you have given him one last chance in memory of your father, while he will be too far away to threaten those whose reputations he has compromised.'

Darcy considered this for a moment then began to nod.

'Yes, yes, I believe that could work. I will offer to settle his debts in England and provide one thousand pounds for him to make a new beginning. I am loath to unleash Wickham on another country but if we instil the warning that he will receive no further protection into him then perhaps he will take heed.'

'Perhaps,' The Colonel mumbled darkly, 'but if it were up to me it would be the gallows or something worse for him.'

'Every man should be given a chance to right his wrongs on earth. If he does not amend his ways he shall pay for it after death.' Darcy reminded his cousin.

'How very pious of you.' Richard snorted. 'Still, I may have to give him a little beating to take with him to the new world. Just in case God forgets.'

Darcy shook his head at his cousin's desire for violence, although deep down he too wished to give Wickham a beating. No good could come of it. It would be far better to see him safely settled far away, somewhere he could not cause them any more trouble.

'You know, I think it might be best if Richard goes alone to confront Wickham when the time comes.' Bingley said thoughtfully. Two pairs of eyes turned to him, one curious and the other disapproving. Darcy was about to object, but Richard held up a hand to silence him.

'Why do you say that?' He asked, intrigued to see what Bingley was thinking.

'Because I would imagine Wickham is afraid of you. If Darcy is present he will know that he can push you for more because he has done in the past and to some extent, Darcy has always protected him. If it is only you then he will have no protection and no reason not to believe your threats. Tell him the truth, that you would rather see him dead. That should scare him into co-operating. After all, he is primarily concerned with his own well-being and will see that taking your offer is preferable to his alternatives.

'Also, Darcy is known in Meryton and not particularly liked, so if the confrontation became public Wickham may be sided with over him. You are unknown in Hertfordshire and you can use your military contacts to get to Wickham through his commanding officer. Take Colonel Forster the evidence you found of Wickham's misdeeds there and persuade him to release Wickham to you. Remind him that as his commanding officer he is technically responsible for failing to keep Wickham under control. You can treat it entirely as though it is a military matter, giving Wickham no room to escape.'

'I'm beginning to think you will be wasted as a country gentleman, my friend.' The Colonel replied. 'You appear to have rather a mind for strategy. Your assessment of the situation is entirely correct. Very well, I shall inform you when my contacts locate any safeguards Wickham has put in place and when I have obtained them I will travel to Hertfordshire to deal with him. I hope that it will only be a matter of days, but it could be months.' The Colonel informed them. Sighing, he placed the chess piece that he had been twisting between his fingers since they entered back on the map in Kent by Lady Catherine's knight. It was the second white bishop.

'Miss Elizabeth Bennet?' Bingley asked curiously after seeing the label. Darcy glared furiously at his cousin from behind his friend's back.

'Oh, yes, I thought it might be necessary to request some local help in undermining Wickham's position in Meryton and Miss Bennet is the only local I have met. You are right, however, that it is a far better idea to get to Wickham through the militia.' The Colonel lied smoothly. 'Oh, by the way, father wishes to speak with you while you are here, Darcy.' He threw in as an afterthought.

Darcy sighed. He was not particularly close to the Earl, who was often somewhat similar to Lady Catherine, but he could not shirk his duty to his family. He only hoped his uncle had not also decided to take an interest in his marriage prospects.

'Very well,' He answered his cousin, 'I suppose I better get that over with.'

Leaving Bingley and the Colonel to finalise their plans (or play with the Colonel's chess-map), he descended to the main hall and asked a footman the whereabouts of his master. He was directed to his uncle's study and announced by another footman, entering when he was invited to.

'Ah, Darcy,' the Earl sat back from his desk, scrutinising his nephew, 'stand closer boy, where I can see you properly.' Darcy approached and sat down.

'Good day uncle. Richard said you wished to see me. How may I be of service?' He asked politely.

'Ah, he did, did he? Well, he took his time doing so. Tardy, tardy boy, you would think the army would have taught him to keep good time! I hear that friend of yours - what is it, Bailey or Bindley, oh the one who comes from trade - is here again as well.'

'Bingley, sir. Yes, he is sir.' Darcy responded, knowing better than to say any more. His uncle's face was the colour of beetroot and he already smelt slightly of whisky despite the early hour.

'It's a disgrace, Darcy, that's what it is!' He slammed a big pink fist down on the desk.

'What is, sir?' Darcy inquired calmly, used to the Earl's erratic temper.

'Why, this modern break down of class of course! Now I have no problem with your Bishopsly, he is an alright sort of fellow, but those who are in trade in general are awful, anarchists the lot of them!'

'Are they, sir?' Darcy replied once more.

'Yes, yes, but that is beside the point. Why did you come in here speaking of anarchists? I wish to speak to you on something far more important.'

'Oh?' Darcy looked at him in confusion.

'Your marriage of course boy!' His uncle sighed in exasperation, as though this had been made perfectly clear from the start.

'What of it?' Darcy asked in resignation.

'Look here Darcy, you must marry soon for it is your duty to provide Pemberley with an heir. Whatever my sister may say, Anne will not do. She is too sickly to be mistress to your estate or provide you with children. Well? Speak up, boy!'

'What do you wish me to say, uncle?'

'Say that you are looking for a wife!'

'I have been looking for a wife for five years sir.'

'Then look harder! You will dine with us on Tuesday; we are having guests, all of a suitable station.'

Darcy blanched at this. The last thing he wanted was to be stuck at one of his aunt's dinner parties with the eligible daughters of the ton trying to throw themselves on him. Suddenly he remembered Mrs Gardiner's hurried dinner invitation. She had said Tuesday had she not? He was almost certain that Georgiana would accept, giving him the perfect escape.

'I'm afraid I am engaged elsewhere that evening uncle.' He said.

'The Blakely's? I am sure you can easily rearrange that, your friend will understand. He is in trade after all.'

'His name is Bingley as you full well know uncle and no, I have a different engagement. One I can and will not rearrange.'

The Earl scrutinised him for a moment then leant back.

'Very well, I see you are not going to be reasonable. I recognise that look in your eyes though, Darcy, it is one I often saw in your father. I believe you have already chosen a bride.'

'Yes.' Darcy did not try to deceive his uncle; there was no use in it.

'You know your duty to your family. She is not from trade?'

'No, she is the daughter of a gentleman.' Darcy replied perfectly honestly.

'Good. I suppose you shall take a horrendously long time to become engaged. Young men these days always do. I do not expect to see you again until an announcement is ready to be made. Preferably within the year. Good day, nephew.'

Darcy was quickly dismissed. He could hardly believe his luck in having to tell his uncle so little. Naturally, the Earl had not even considered that Darcy may look outside of the ton for his future partner in life and because of this, he had essentially given his blessing to Darcy's union with any gentleman's daughter.

Bingley and Colonel Fitzwilliam greeted Darcy as he left the study and they strolled towards the entrance hall.

'How was father?' Richard asked humorously.

'Oh, as charming as ever.' Darcy retorted. 'He informed me that I was not to marry cousin Anne, which I suppose is positive since I never had any intention to.'

'Excellent. As insightful as he always is then. Well, I think we have everything under control here. I suppose I will meet with you again when I have managed to deal with our little problem.'

Bingley quickly excused himself to use the privy and Colonel Fitzwilliam saw the chance to ask something that had been weighing upon his mind.

'Reuniting Miss Bennet and Bingley, cousin, why did you do it?' Darcy looked pained at this but replied immediately.

'Because I was wrong to ever interfere with their affairs and I see now that I came very close to ruining, perhaps forever, my dearest friend's chances of happiness. I should never have been so arrogant as to presume to tell Bingley his own heart, or indeed that of a woman who I had barely said two words to when he had spoken to her for hours. Why, are you inclined to believe that I should not have reunited them?'

Colonel Fitzwilliam grinned at this response.

'Oh no, not at all. It is just that I was still trying to answer your question from the other day about being a good man. With that response, you have answered it. You are a good man, or at the least, you are becoming one. You see, I fear three days ago if I had asked you that you would have told me it was to win the heart of Miss Elizabeth Bennet, but today you think first of the happiness Bingley deserves. Let that be a guide to tell you if you are being a good man. If you are doing good deeds to impress a lady then however wonderful the lady, you are not truly good yourself. It is when you are doing good because it is the right thing to do and because you care for the happiness of others above that of yourself that you are a good man.'

'What can you two be whispering of so earnestly?' Bingley called, his usual beaming grin fixed in place as he reappeared in the hallway.

'Nothing of consequence.' Was all the reply he received, although it was rendered somewhat less convincing by the fact that both Darcy and the Colonel said it at the same time.

Bingley eyed them curiously for a moment, but it was not in his nature to pry into the affairs of others so he let it go with a shrug and clapped the Colonel on the back in farewell.

'Well, it has been good seeing you again Richard. Best of luck with Wickham.' He said briefly, aware that time was ticking in and it was becoming increasingly likely that Miss Bennet would have left Darcy house by the time they returned.

'Yes, good business cousin. Be careful and whatever you do please don't underestimate Wickham. If anything-'

'Yes, yes, I know. You'll worry like an old fishwife. Away with you man and get Bingley back to his angel before he expires.' The Colonel urged. Darcy looked indignant at this description, but Bingley herded him out of the door before he could complain.

Opening his eyes, Darcy sat up in his chair again shaking his head. Honestly, why was it so hard for his cousin to understand that what _he_ labelled brooding, sulking and worrying like an old fishwife was _actually_ deeply important consideration of highly relevant information? He sighed in resignation and reached for some paper. He had better write a note to Richard informing him of the dinner at the Gardiners' before he forgot about it. Or perhaps he should just forget about it…

* * *

 **When I first tried to post this chapter I accidentally uploaded chapter 10 again, then I posted the right chapter but there was a paragraph halfway through from my original draft where the Colonel already had everything he needed to confront Wickham and said something about going to Hertfordshire in two days** **that I'd never taken out - Sorry if you ended up reading either of those and getting very confused. Hopefully, I actually managed to post the right, properly edited chapter this time.**

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello!**

 **In this chapter we're in Hunsford with Lizzy. I know people are eager for her to get to London and meet Darcy again but I'm afraid there are still a few more things that have to happen before that. Hopefully it will be worth the wait.**

 **To the guest who commented about Mr Wickham not being ordained, from my research it appeared that with Darcy's backing this would not have been such a problem.** **In England in around 1810, to become ordained you had to have a non-specific university degree, which we know Wickham had because he was at Cambridge with Darcy. You then had to pass a test on scripture which a Bishop would mark, but as I understand it this system was highly corrupt so it basically transpired that most people would just have a wealthy sponsor or relative who essentially paid for them to become ordained. In this case, it is implied that Wickham expects Darcy to back him in the process, probably either through bribery or through family connections in the church** **(It was rather standard for a first son to inherit, second to go into the church and third to go into the military, which is why in this fic I assume that the Colonel had two older brothers, one of whom would likely have been influential in the church).** **To address how Wickham made it into the militia as a lieutenant, my interpretation is that he probably would have used blackmail (which will sort of be explained in a few chapters when the Colonel is dealing with him). I don't know if these explanations have any merit, but I like to think that Jane Austen would have had some valid hypothesis behind the way she wrote it.**

 **Thank you to everyone who has followed, favourited or reviewed. Your support and comments really motivate me to try to improve my work and already the document I have for the whole story has grown from 75k words to almost 90k words. One question I do have is when you read a fanfiction do you prefer to know beforehand what pairings it contains or would you rather let the story play out and find out in the process? I chose to show that this fic was ExD and JxB, but in the future I'm thinking of leaving it out so that there is some uncertainty over who will actually end up together, as in a few ideas I am toying with it isn't so obvious as in this one.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Lizzy awoke already frustrated. Her past few days had been infuriating, filled with Mr Collins's increasingly ridiculous behaviour and interspersed with Lady Catherine's rude remarks. Charlotte's company had been a blessing as always, but she was often busy doing her husband's job for him and found little time in between her work around the house to spend with her friend. She had already been much distracted by the visit and the parishioners needed her attention since they would get little from Mr Collins other than the repetition of Lady Catherine's poor advice.

Elizabeth sighed and rose from her bed. At least today she might expect another letter from Jane. With little else to do she had sent a reply to the missive she received a few days earlier on the very same afternoon that it had come. Descending the stairs, she found that a letter from Jane was indeed waiting for her.

She chose to forgo family breakfast, having seen enough of her cousin's atrocious table manners, and instead headed straight out for her walk taking her letter with her. She read it as she strolled through the park, delighted by her sister's obvious contentment and loyal recounting of events.

 _Dearest Lizzy,_  
 _Although it has been only a few days since I wrote last, there is much that I have to share. I told you in my previous letter that we were engaged to call at Darcy house so I will begin here. I am sure you will not be surprised when I tell you that the house is located in the fashionable part of town, only a short distance from the Hurst residence in Grosvenor Square. I thought that grand when I called on Mr Bingley's sisters there, but it is nothing when compared with the Darcy's. The house must be the same size and at least another half on top of that._

 _I suppose you have become familiar with opulent decoration in your time at Rosings, but to me much of this is new. Strangely, although the Darcys' furnishings are very fine, they are more reserved than I have seen elsewhere. I suppose this fits with what we know of Mr Darcy's character. He hardly seems to be one for unnecessary frippery. Is this typical of the very rich or is it simply a personal choice? From the descriptions you have given me I am inclined to believe the latter._

 _Anyway, enough of Mr Darcy's decorating habits; they are hardly what you wish to hear about. Miss Darcy welcomed us into the parlour and introduced us to Mrs Annesly, a widow who is her companion. She was most agreeable and spoke extensively with Aunt Gardiner. Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy were present at first but had to leave for some sort of business meeting after a short while._

 _Miss Darcy seemed very shy and nervous at first, but once she had gotten comfortable with us she became wonderful company. Particularly after the gentlemen left, we spoke much of our families. Though she cares a great deal for her brother, the difference in their ages means he has had to be more of a father to her and she longs for siblings closer to her own age. I told her that we had plenty to share!_

 _We became so comfortable with one another that she requested I called her Georgiana and I gave her leave to call me Jane in return. I think she will be a very dedicated friend, and we have already each extracted promises from the other to write when we are parted._

 _After much joviality, we began to think that it must almost be time for the visit to end when none other than Miss Bingley was announced! She was not expected and we thought this a little odd as her brother had said nothing of her coming when we talked to him either, but in any case, Aunt Gardiner and I thought we had better leave so that things did not become uncomfortable. After all, we knew Miss Bingley to be Miss Darcy's particular friend and did not wish to interrupt._

 _It turned out that this was not the case at all. When we announced our intention to go Georgiana quite begged me not to leave her as she could not face Miss Bingley alone. Of course, we could not leave her then. Miss Bingley was obviously shocked to meet us there and the conversation was stilted and awkward, but we persevered for Georgiana's sake._

 _Eventually, just as Aunt Gardiner was issuing a dinner invitation for Tuesday, the gentlemen returned. Mr Bingley was equally surprised to see his sister present and I am afraid there was rather an altercation when she tried to refuse the dinner invitation on his behalf. They quickly left and I am pleased to say that Mr Bingley will be attending dinner, although unfortunately his sister cannot. The Darcys' also happily accepted, although we left soon after as we had intruded in their home for far too long._

 _Oh, but Lizzy, what fun we had before Miss Bingley was present. Will you believe me when I tell you that the stern Mr Darcy once let chickens into the dining room while his father, aunts and uncles were eating? It is true, although I am reliably informed that it was Colonel Fitzwilliam who came up with the scheme. Of the Colonel, I have heard much, though I have not yet actually met the gentleman yet and I look forward to making his acquaintance on Tuesday._

 _Oh, Tuesday! I cannot even think the word without near swooning in excitement. How foolish you must think me, Lizzy. I can picture you shaking your head as you read this and wondering how your sister has become such an airhead in the months we have been parted. I think, though, that it is an excusable offence to be a fool when you are in love._

 _Aside from this, we are all well at Gracechurch street. As you might imagine, Cousin Emma has already outstripped my skill on the pianoforte and her stitching is coming along nicely as well. I thought to teach her a little French and though she struggled at first I believe she is improving. Perhaps she will demonstrate her skills to you when you arrive in town and if she bores of the romanticism of French then you can teach her Latin instead._

 _I have written recently to Mother but I know Father is more likely to read your letters than mine so pass on my love and wishes for his health and happiness when you next write. I hope you are all equally well at Hunsford. Do pass my regards on to Charlotte, Maria and our cousin._

 _Your loving sister,_  
 _Jane_

Lizzy rose from the log that she had found to sit on while she read and tucked the letter into her reticule then spread her arms and twirled in joy. Her sister's misery in the months of uncertainty after Bingley left Netherfield had been painful to witness and it was a weight off Elizabeth's shoulders to know that Jane was content once again.

Knowing this, she could allow herself to truly revel in the beautiful scenery of Kent. She extended her walk to avoid returning to the parsonage for as long as possible and ventured into territory unknown. Finally she could continue her exploration of the great park without worry. Laughing as she read through Jane's missive a final time, Lizzy turned back towards the parsonage.

She cut across the fields in a more direct route than she had taken on her way out and grinned as she thought what Mr Collins and Lady Catherine would say if they saw her climbing over the fences in a most unladylike fashion. Her petticoat was hemmed in mud again. Miss Bingley would be horrified. Oh well.

She soon reached Hunsford and rushed quietly to the upstairs parlour so as not to attract her cousin's attention or interrupt Charlotte's work. She immediately sat down to reply to Jane, as her only alternative was needlework. Although she had little to report writing would make her feel somewhat closer to her dear sister.

 _Dearest Jane,_  
 _I confess that I did shake my head as I read your letter, but only out of love for your sweet nature and sorrow that we must still be parted for another week yet to prevent me from witnessing you swooning in person. I rather envy you for all of the excitement you have been having, though I know it is well deserved. Though I enjoy Charlotte's company, I confess that life at Hunsford has become rather dull and repetitive for me._

 _I have little excitement to report, but I thank you for the intelligence about Mr Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam's exploits with chickens in their youth. I shall now have that knowledge to hold over the former gentleman if he persists on being disagreeable when we meet in town. I only hope that you have not offered his sister anything equally incriminating on me, for I feel certain that she will pass it on to him if they are as close as you have suggested._

 _Lady Catherine is feeling the loss of her nephews heavily this week and has already had us to dine twice and to tea three times since they left, which is more than we were required in the full fortnight before that. She continues to delight in giving advice where it is not welcome and I am afraid that poor Charlotte is bearing the brunt of that. Mr Collins is as eager to follow every shred of wisdom she provides as he ever has been._

 _Maria, at least, has increased in confidence enough to speak a little in Lady Catherine's company. When we are next together I shall attempt to explain to you how this miracle has seemingly come about through a single conversation with Mr Darcy, but I am not sure I understand it myself. I think I told you in my last letter that she even had the courage to sing, which she will rarely even agree to at home._

 _As for the furnishings and decoration which you seem to have spent much time pondering lately, I am glad to hear that the Darcy town house is less gaudy than Rosings. Is that uncharitable of me to say? I am sure Lady Catherine takes great pleasure in her pompous, over - it is no use dearest, I am not capable of being as kind as you are and I find I must always criticise what I do not like. It seems you will have to contain all of the goodness for both of us, but luckily you do that naturally._

 _I confess I am also glad to hear that Miss Bingley is still as unpleasant as I always thought her to be, although not for the pain that this has brought to you. It shows that Miss Darcy must have some sense if she also recognises this. I suppose it must be very difficult for her to trust anyone as she will never know if they are just trying to use her to get to her brother - for this is what Miss Bingley is doing, no matter how hard you try to deny it - or if they are a genuine friend._

 _It also shows good taste that she has seen your innate goodness and chosen to make you her particular friend, so I am already disposed to like her. I am glad that Mr Bingley finally took his sister in hand and did not let her persuade him out of dinner with our Aunt and Uncle. I give you every permission to be outrageously happy and swoon as much as you wish._

 _As for teaching Emma Latin, I hardly know whether Aunt Gardiner would be thrilled or horrified! My best wishes for all your health and happiness._  
 _Yours &c._

Elizabeth read over what she had written and was satisfied that she had shared enough with her sister to justify the price of postage. She found Charlotte in the kitchen instructing a maid and inquired whether she had any message she wished to add, thinking it would save them writing separately. Charlotte did add her own brief letter to Jane and then told Lizzy that they were required at Rosings that evening once more.

'Again?' Lizzy exclaimed. 'I would have thought her Ladyship quite sick of the sight of us by now!'

'Apparently not.' Charlotte laughed in return. Lizzy looked glum at this prospect.

'Well I can hardly feign illness; Mr Collins would never let me hear the end of it, he barely allowed me to abstain from Lady Catherine's exalted company before when I was in genuine distress.' Putting on her best impression of Lady Catherine, she mimicked: 'Being of fragile health when one has raised circumstances such as Anne's is a most attractive quality in a young lady, but Miss Bennet with her lowly birth should certainly not indulge in illness, don't you agree, Darcy?' Charlotte had to wipe tears of laughter from her eyes at the accuracy of the impression.

'Oh Lizzy, you know it is not right to mock her so. Imagine what my husband would do if he found out!' She gasped in between her laughter.

'It is good to see you laugh so, Charlotte. I am glad that you can still see the humour in such things, though your husband would certainly not approve.' Lizzy replied. 'But still, can you not complain of some malady so that you can miss the visit and I can stay behind to nurse you? I am sure Mr Collins would not deny you while you carry his child.'

'I know you are not serious Elizabeth, but I think you are a bad influence on me because I am rather tempted. But no, I shall not. If I did then my husband would undoubtedly apply to her ladyship for her esteemed wisdom on the trials of being with child and I am trying to avoid that advice for as long as I can. She will likely have me eating only raw green beans for the next nine months and rubbing pork fat on my belly if I am not careful. Besides, it is good practice for you to grow accustomed to Lady Catherine's company, for you may be much in it if you marry her nephew!'

'Charlotte!' Lizzy exclaimed indignantly at her friend's teasing remark, but she had made a quick escape from Lizzy's predictable wrath and her laughter was echoing in the corridor.

Shaking her head at her friend's persistence she folded and addressed the missive for Jane and left it to be posted in the morning. To avoid Mr Collins's wrath she had best start dressing immediately, for lateness in his books was an unpardonable sin.

* * *

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello!**

 **In this chapter we get to see Bingley putting his foot down with Caroline. It's another chapter based more on the interactions between characters than pushing the plot forward, but hopefully you all enjoy that as much as I do. I think it's really important at this stage of the story to show how the characters are being changed by their experiences, but I also know it can be frustrating to go so long with no ExD interaction. I promise Elizabeth will make it to London eventually, although admittedly not for another few chapters yet.**

 **The people who responded to my question about character pairings wanted to know in advance, but I'm curious as to how far this stretches. It is unlikely that I will post a story that is not ExD HEA and I would definitely warn readers if that wasn't the case, but some of my ideas don't end with Jane and Bingley together. In this case, would it be acceptable to just say they don't end up together, or would you want to know who they were going to be paired with before reading? Thanks for helping me work this out.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Jane could hardly wait for the dinner party that was to come the following Tuesday. She planned to wear a gown that her Aunt had helped her to buy in the first few weeks of her stay in London in the hopes of improving her spirits. It was a beautiful deep blue, cut in the latest fashion and by far the finest thing that she had ever owned.

At the time it had merely served to remind her that she had no one to admire her in it, but she now eagerly anticipated the appreciation that it would surely gain from Mr Bingley. In this dress, she would no longer have to feel embarrassed at appearing less stylish than the women he was used to being in company with.

Laughing to herself, she shook her head at her own vanity. What on earth would Lizzy think if she were here? She was behaving just as her younger sisters often did, pining over a handsome gentleman.

Besides being in the company of that gentleman once more, she also looked forward to continuing her budding friendship with Miss Darcy. After a difficult start overcoming her shyness, the two had proved to get on exceedingly well. Both were of a gentle, forgiving nature, eager to please and take joy in every event where it may be found. It had given Jane much pleasure to speak of her beloved sisters to such a willing audience and satisfied her need to see the good in everyone hearing the taciturn Mr Darcy spoken of as a much-loved brother in return.

The younger woman's reception of Miss Bingley had also reassured her that they were not dear friends, despite what that lady may claim, and her letter had been deceitful in its allegations. She reminded herself that Miss Bingley deserved her pity rather than her censure for this, but found that with her heart engaged in the matter even she was incapable of completely pardoning the offence.

How much she looked forward to being reunited with her dear Lizzy so that they may talk over all these matters as they usually would. It was selfish of her, however, to wish that her sister would come to town earlier than planned. She hoped for her sister to enjoy the full amount of time that she could spend with her friend at Hunsford, as well as having a respite from the company of Mr Darcy who she disliked so.

For a moment Jane felt guilty that her attachment to Mr Bingley and now her friendship with Miss Darcy would likely force Elizabeth to suffer the presence of Mr Darcy much more in the future. She brushed this feeling aside, for despite what her sister claimed at least in Mr Darcy's company she was rarely bored. The strange gentleman was one of their few acquaintances who could match her lively sister for wits and understand her literary or philosophical references. Besides, Lizzy would be able to content herself to ignore or avoid him as often as she wished.

Across town, Bingley was also caught in eager anticipation for the gathering to come. The two times that he had met Miss Bennet recently, he had been encouraged enough by her pleasing reception of his attention to hope that she still held him in the same regard that she once had. If events proceeded as smoothly as they had begun then he intended to ask for her hand in the course of the evening.

There only existed one remaining barrier to his dearest wish: the opposition of his sisters. This he intended to deal with promptly, aware that his hesitance on the matter might already have cost him his future happiness had he not chosen the kindest and most forgiving angel in the world on whom to bestow his affections.

Sighing as he thought through the best way to go about this, he decided to implement one of the good Colonel Fitzwilliam's favourite strategies: divide and conquer. With this in mind, he summoned Caroline to the little-used study which Hurst had given him free rein of. He may as well start with the trickier of the two.

He was well aware that he should have curbed her unpleasant behaviour years ago and could only put his failure to do so down to youth and a deep-seated hatred of conflict. For quite some time he had noticed her becoming more cruel, more demanding and more difficult to be around. Early on he had found some humour in her desperate pursuit of his friend and had enjoyed the opportunity it brought to tease Darcy but lately she had been taking it much too far.

 _Darcy would never have allowed his sister to act as Caroline does._ Bingley thought, his great natural modesty causing him to contemplate as he often did how poorly put together he was compared to his older and wiser friend. His admiration of his friend was such to make him sure that when Darcy fell in love with a woman he would be capable of securing her hand immediately without any of the fuss that he himself had managed to cause in his pursuit of Miss Jane Bennet.

At this moment his thoughts were interrupted by the entrance of his sister. She did not knock but rather swooped in with her usual air of self-importance.

'What do you want Charles? I am rather busy.' She looked down her nose at him, ensuring that she communicated her full displeasure at being summoned in such an undignified manner.

She had already been seething from his deliberate attempts to embarrass her at Darcy house earlier and this had only worsened her mood. At least in their hasty departure she had not noticed him showing any particular attention to Miss Bennet, so perhaps he had forgotten his inclination in that quarter.

'Sit down Caroline.' He told her resignedly, unwilling to deal with her foul behaviour but knowing he must before she took something so far that her reputation was damaged. Already she had devoted so much time to chasing after Darcy that her marriage prospects had lessened considerably.

Surprisingly, Caroline obeyed and took a seat. She was unused to her genial brother taking a commanding tone with her and when he did he seemed to grow in resemblance to their father, of whom she had always been somewhat afraid. For a moment he just looked at her, before deciding that the best approach was a direct one.

'You concealed Miss Bennet's presence in town from me.' He accused.

'I did no such thing, Charles! It must have just slipped my mind, I am sure I must have mentioned that I had called upon her.' Caroline protested, feigning affront, but her usually docile brother would have none of it today.

'It was a statement, not a question Caroline. I know you _did_ conceal it because Darcy informed me of that and of his part in the deception three days ago.'

'Well - I - I -' She spluttered, unable to believe that Darcy had betrayed her when she had been so certain that they were working towards the same aim.

' _His_ motive was to protect me from becoming attached to a fortune hunter, and he has sincerely apologised for the interference now that he realises he was mistaken in his evaluation. I should like to know yours.' Bingley continued firmly, knowing that if he gave his sister an inch she would take a mile.

'I too was trying to protect you, Charles! You remember the awful, fortune-hunting Bennet family, why, catching you as a rich husband was all the mother ever talked of! I do not know what has brought on Mr Darcy's change of mind but I strongly believe that an alliance with the Bennet family is not desirable for any party involved.'

'Is that so?' He looked at her disbelievingly. 'Having taken this into account, I have none the less decided that I shall propose to Miss Bennet as I feel it will bring me personal happiness.'

'No! Charles, you cannot. What will Mr Darcy think? What will society think? No dowry...Connections in trade...Oh lord!' Caroline was horrified. 'There are plenty of other pretty girls who are much better situated than Jane Bennet and you have your pick of them! Choose someone else. Do you not like Miss Darcy? She would be most appropriate.'

'Caroline!' Bingley shouted over her ramblings. 'How dare you react in this vile, unseemly way? You presume to tell me what my private affairs should be. Well, I will not have it anymore. You are going to sit and listen to some plain facts.

'First, Mr Darcy has already assured me that he will be exceedingly happy to see me settled in a loving marriage with a woman whom I can respect. As he pointed out to me, I shall be marrying above my station for Miss Bennet is the daughter of a gentleman. It is we who have connections in trade Caroline; it is where our fortune which you seem to enjoy spending so much of came from!

'Second, I do not wish to marry Miss Bennet because she has a pretty face, I wish it because she is the most generous-hearted, caring, selfless creature I have ever known. This you might have realised yourself had you cared for anything other than the size of her dowry and the professions of her relations.

'Third, if Mr Darcy ever thought that I was pursuing his sister, who I might remind you is not even out in society yet, I am certain he would be anything but pleased. Our friendship is one based on mutual trust and respect, not an attempt on my part to grasp at a higher rung of society than I occupy. If this was in any doubt, he would likely drop the connection with our family all together.

'And finally, you must stop your ridiculous scheme to try to make Darcy marry you because I can assure you he will not. _Ever_. Even ignoring the fact that he will most likely marry a woman from a far higher circle of society than ours, your behaviour towards him has ensured that he would never consider you. Do not waste your chance at marriage by trying to reach too far above your station and thereby showing yourself in a bad light to those you may have a chance with.' Bingley ended his speech breathing heavily, having done his best to communicate a severe warning to his sister. He did not wish Caroline's behaviour now to ruin the chances of her achieving happiness in the future.

His authority as her brother and a close friend of Darcy should have been enough to convince her that a change was necessary but, from the look on Caroline's face, it seemed she was still willing to ignore any circumstances that did not fit in with her plans. This would probably not be the last battle he had with her over her behaviour but he hoped it would at least encourage her to be more restrained for a while.

After an awkward pause in which it became clear that his sullen sister was not going to respond, Bingley dismissed her tiredly. He rolled his shoulders and neck, rubbing his face with his hands to try to reduce the tension that had built up there. Conflict of any kind did not sit well with him, jovial as he was in nature, but he knew that if he wished to become a good master of an estate he would need to be adept at resolving the issues of his tenants. While this was not quite the same as confronting his sister, if it was even half as stressful then it was no wonder that Darcy was so uptight. At least if more of this lay ahead of him he might now dare to hope that he could face it with a wonderful lady at his side.

After his confrontation with Caroline, Bingley hoped that Louisa would not be so difficult to deal with. Growing up she had always been the more reasonable of his two sisters, although she was impressionable and had often followed where Caroline led. At least she was married now and so was not his responsibility any more if she did decide to follow her sister's lead.

Unlike Caroline, she did knock and wait to be invited in before entering his study. This gave him some hope that at least one of his siblings was capable of showing good manners and that the very expensive finishing school they had attended had not been a complete waste of time and money.

'I will be frank with you Louisa; I have heard far too much from Caroline on this already and only wish to give you the facts, you are a married woman so after that you may do what you please. I know of Miss Bennet's presence in London and have met her twice now. It is my intention to ask for her hand in marriage.' He braced himself to hear another backlash but none came. Louisa sat in contemplation for a moment before speaking.

'Do you love her, brother?' She asked sincerely, eyes locked on his in a penetrating gaze.

'Yes.' He replied without hesitation.

'Do you really love her, for who she is, not just an infatuation with her good looks?'

'Yes.' His answer came immediately once more. His sister rose and walked around the desk, taking his face gently in her hands and placing a soft kiss on his head.

'Then I am very happy for you Charles. I believe she will make you a fine wife.' She turned and made to leave the room, then thought the better of it, staying to add. 'I could not bear it if you lived to regret your marriage as I regret mine, Charles. You do not deserve that. You are far too good a man.' A few lonely tears streaked down her face as she said this and then she was gone before her brother had a chance to respond. He was left to think sombrely on this wise advice and remind himself that despite her flaws Louisa was on occasion a most excellent sister.

* * *

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello!**

 **This chapter is the first half of Colonel Fitzwilliam dealing with Wickham. I will post the next chapter tomorrow as originally it was all in one but it grew so long and complicated that I needed to split it.**

 **Thank you so much for all of the nice reviews about the last chapter. I'm glad so many people like the idea of Lousia having a good side. I always see her as the type of character who is only mean because she follows Caroline's lead. We also certainly have some more to come from Caroline and some more of Bingley expressing his firm side before this is over.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The Colonel received an urgent message from one of his contacts in the evening on the day after he had met Darcy and Bingley at Matlock house. It seemed that Wickham had travelled to town and been spotted with Mrs Younge. He had been seen handing over money and letters to the woman and then overheard saying that he would return in a month. One of the men was on Wickham's trail to see where else in town he went while the other continued to watch Mrs Younge.

The Colonel quickly made his way to the ramshackle building in the east end which was currently serving as Mrs Younge's home. When he saw it he almost pitied her. She had been perfectly placed as a ladies companion, earning a good wage, eating good food and living in fine quarters, but she had lost it all because of her misguided loyalty to Wickham. However, she had used her position of power to manipulate and deceive his innocent young cousin, so his sympathy for her was limited.

Looking around, his trained eye picked his man out of the shadows and he immediately strode over to meet him.

'Perry, I got your message. Tell me exactly what happened.'

'We followed Mrs Younge when she went out earlier this evening. She went to the Blue Lion, a boxing pub down near the Docklands, and met Wickham there. We were able to get the adjacent booth and listen to their conversation. Wickham gave her what looked like some letters and told her to keep them with the others. After that, he gave her what he called the usual payment for her monthly services. She left almost immediately after that so I followed. Bates stayed on Wickham's trail but he sent a boy with a message not half an hour ago to say that Wickham was currently at an address on Granby street.' Perry ended this with a meaningful look and the Colonel nodded in understanding. Granby street was a notorious area of prostitute activity.

'I see. I must confront Mrs Younge, I am sure these letters are what I am looking for. What can you tell me about her living situation?' He asked, eyeing the unremarkable looking house.

'The only entry to the property is at the front. Mrs Younge is in the ground floor residence, which, as far as we have been able to tell, consists of two small rooms. This terrace backs straight on to another, so she has no escape that way, but the whole row has cellars that may be interconnected.' Perry replied quickly and methodically.

'Good. Is there anything else that might be of use?'

'Just one more thing, Sir. We followed up on that lead, the place where Mrs Younge was sending money to every week. This is what we found.' Perry pulled out some papers and handed them to the Colonel who examined the document for a moment then looked back up with a glint in his eye.

'Excellent work. I have a feeling Mrs Younge is going to be very cooperative tonight. I best approach her alone, but follow if you hear my call.' The Colonel ordered. Perry looked somewhat unwilling to allow him to enter a potentially hostile situation alone but eventually nodded his assent.

With all the confidence of his years in the military, Colonel Fitzwilliam stepped from the shadows and strode across to Mrs Younge's front door. He knocked firmly then moved to the side so that he would be out of view when it opened. Moments later he heard the scrape of the bolt before the door was cracked open. Seeing no one outside, Mrs Younge opened the door wider and stepped out before looking to the side and realising her mistake.

Shock froze her for a second, which was all the Colonel needed to ensure that she could close the door in his face. Before the woman had quite realised what was happening, he had stepped towards her and she had stumbled back, placing them both in the entryway to her house. The Colonel closed the door behind him and continued his advance, passing the staircase which led to the upstairs residence and forcing Mrs Younge into the first of her own rooms.

Glancing around, he was pleased to note that everything was just as his man had suspected. This room was clearly serving as a kitchen and dining area while beyond it he could see the open door to the bedchamber. He had passed the entrance to the Cellar in the hallway so had no fear of her attempting to escape this way.

'Mrs Younge, what a pleasure it is to see you again.' The Colonel offered her his most charming smile, the panic in her eyes bringing him a grim sort of satisfaction.

'I haven't done anything wrong.' She said by way of greeting.

'Oh no, I'm sure you haven't. Only, I did hear that you met with our dear friend Mr Wickham this evening and that he gave you something for safe keeping. Something which I have a great interest in.'

'I don't know what you're talking about. Please leave.' Mrs Younge replied stiffly.

'I think you do. I think you know exactly what I'm talking about. But by all means, continue with your misguided loyalty if it pleases you. It has obviously done wonders for you so far.' The Colonel said, gesturing at their dank surroundings.

'I get by.' The woman jutted her chin out stubbornly. Colonel Fitzwilliam sighed and shook his head.

'Is Wickham the father?' He asked.

'What?' She answered sharply, the question taking her by surprise.

'You heard me, madam. Is Wickham the father of your child?' He repeated, holding out the documents Perry had passed him earlier.

'Yes.' Mrs Younge replied after she had looked them over, resignation in her eyes.

'Is that how he made you help him?' The Colonel asked, his pity for the woman growing now that he better understood her circumstances.

'He said if we succeeded and he married Miss Darcy then he would pay for my son to go to school. If I refused, he would reveal that my son is a bastard to the whole world and ensure he never had a chance. I have tried to hide his true birth date so that people do not realise that he was conceived after my husband's death, but Wickham could destroy that.'

'And now he pays you monthly to keep his letters as a safeguard. I assume he has instructed you to distribute them if anything ever happens to him, ruining all the women he had compromised.' The Colonel deduced.

'Yes.' Mrs Younge confirmed, stubbornly wiping away the tears that had welled in her eyes. 'Now you best leave if you value your cousin at all. I will not stop. I need that money for my boy.'

'What is he paying you?' Colonel Fitzwilliam asked in resignation, knowing that he could not in good conscience punish Mrs Younge's child for the sins of his parents.

'Two crowns a month.' She answered, jutting her chin out as if challenging him to do better. Such a sum would equate to around six pounds in a year, five of which were going to her son's school and board. While the pound left over would be considered a reasonable salary for a housemaid in a less wealthy establishment, a woman in that situation would also have accommodation and food attached to her position.

It was no wonder Mrs Younge's living conditions were less than ideal as she had fled with no reference after Ramsgate so had not been able to pick up another respectable position. The Colonel's sources had found that she gave weekly lessons in ladylike accomplishments to the daughters of a few tradesmen who were not wealthy enough for full-time governesses, but the salary she earnt from this was hardly enough to allow her to do more than maintain her respectable appearance for her clients by occasionally supplementing her wardrobe.

'Very well. I shall see that you continue to receive that amount and your son's schooling is paid for separately so that you may improve your own accommodation. In exchange I expect you to hand over everything that Wickham has given you for safe keeping, as well as informing me of anything you know about his other precautions.' The Colonel offered.

'What reassurance do I have that you will pay anything at all? You may simply leave once you have what you came for and never return.' Mrs Younge asked with suspicion.

'Would you prefer a lump sum then? I warn you that I will not leave until I have what I came for, though I would rather this settled amicably.' He replied, making it clear that both his patience and sympathy were limited.

Mrs Younge hesitated for a moment, considering him, then nodded stiffly.

'Good. How much?'

'A hundred pounds.' Mrs Younge said firmly, meeting his eyes with a determined coolness.

'You ask a high price for something that I could take for free.' The Colonel pointed out, unwilling to promise away such a high quantity of his cousin's money when so much had already been wasted in pursuit of Wickham.

'Fifty then, and a reference.' The woman offered, refusing to bend easily to his veiled threat.

'A reference?' He questioned, caught slightly off guard.

'Yes, a reference or you will have to pay my original price. I want a proper position again but I need a more up to date reference to recommend me to a full-time role. It need not be of sufficient quality to gain be a position such as I had with the Darcy's, but perhaps something that would show I would be a suitable companion to an older lady, maybe a wealthy widow.'

'Fine,' The Colonel agreed, rather pleased to know that the woman was eager to earn her own living. 'I'll get you your reference and your fifty pounds, Mrs Younge, and ensure your son is provided for on top of that. But be warned, I will be watching you. Place one foot out of line and you will have me to answer to.'

'Yes, sir, I understand.' She replied, her attitude repentant enough for him to believe she was at least somewhat sincere.

'Good. Now, tell me all you know of Wickham.' He demanded.

Nodding, Mrs Younge took a candle from the table and walked into the next room, placing it on a dresser. The Colonel felt somewhat awkward following her into her bedchamber, but did so, albeit reluctantly. He coughed and adjusted his cravat somewhat when he noticed some of her garments on the floor, doing his best to look away. Mrs Younge noticed his discomfort and found it strangely humorous. It had been some time since she last encountered a man who respected a lady's privacy.

Putting this thought from her mind, she knelt down and rolled back the edge of a rug to reveal the floorboards beneath. Feeling for the one that did not quite fit properly, she prised it up with her nails and reached down to the space beneath. After fumbling for a minute, she pulled out a stack of letters that was neatly tied with a ribbon and handed them up to the Colonel.

'Is this all of them, including the ones he gave you tonight?' Colonel Fitzwilliam asked, examining the distinctly feminine handwriting in the candlelight.

'Yes, all the letters are there. Wickham also gave me these.' Mrs Younge reached into the cavity again, pulling out a wicker box which she handed over.

The Colonel opened the lid and ran his fingers over the series of handkerchiefs inside. Immediately his eyes picked out one with a familiar pattern which he knew had belonged to Georgiana. Grimly, he renewed his search through the letters until he found several clearly written in his cousin's hand. Swallowing down the fury that this incited in him, he pressed the letter into the box with the handkerchiefs and shut the lid.

'Very well. Is there anything else you can tell me? Even just something you heard in passing that might indicate Wickham had taken some other precautions?' He pressed Mrs Younge when his anger had faded a little.

'You do not plan to hurt him, do you?' Mrs Younge asked, a strangely vulnerable look in her eyes.

'No, despite all that he has done my cousin would not see him harmed. We intend to send him to the Americas, to make a new start.' The Colonel told her, hoping that this assurance would be enough to convince her to give any final pieces of information she had.

Mrs Younge squeezed her eyes closed for a moment, then nodded.

'He used to keep a diary as well. Not with him, he would go somewhere to fill it out. He once bragged to a group of his admirers that he kept a record of all his great conquests so that people centuries from now would know there was no man more virile than George Wickham. I have no idea where he keeps it, but I suspect it still exists. That is all I know.' She confessed.

'Thank you, madam, you have been very helpful. I will see myself out.' Colonel Fitzwilliam nodded to her, satisfied that she had told him as much as she could. She had no reason to remain loyal to Wickham after she had been treated as badly by him as everyone else.

Mrs Younge remained where she was until she heard the door close behind the Colonel, then knelt back down and pulled the final thing out of the space under the floorboards. It was another set of letters, these ones far more personal. They were the ones Wickham had written to her.

She had been newly widowed when she first met George Wickham. She had felt no particular loyalty to her deceased husband, an abusive alcoholic who had gambled away almost all of his own money along with her small dowry. After his death, there was very little left, though Wickham did not realise that until after he had already seduced her and left her growing large with his child.

Wickham, of course, had no interest in marrying her once he realised that she had no money to offer him. However, with the birth of his child, he realised the opportunity he had to manipulate her for his gain. She, after all, was still a respectable widow. Very few people knew of her child and those who did were informed that his date of birth was six months earlier than it actually had been, making it possible that he was legitimate.

Mrs Younge's son was sent away to a place where Wickham promised her he would receive the best of care. She then entered into employment as a lady's companion, beginning with a family who took pity on her as they remembered her from before her husband's death. Once she had built up a respectable list of references, Wickham could deploy her for the true purpose he intended. The position as Miss Darcy's companion became available and he instructed her to apply, letting her know that her son's life would be drastically improved if she went along with his plan.

She had known for a long time that Wickham had never loved her and that he was really the worst of men, yet she had never quite been able to let go of him and the memory of the bliss she had felt all those years ago before his lies were revealed. Sighing, she let a single tear escape before striding over to the fireplaces and tossing the letters in. That part of her life, the part full of dishonesty and lies, was over now.

Outside, Perry rushed over to the Colonel when he emerged, clearly relieved to find him unscathed by the encounter.

'Did you find what you came for, Sir?' He asked.

'Yes, thank you, Perry.' The Colonel replied, holding up the box. 'I would like to continue watching Mrs Younge until I have everything cleared up, but I doubt that she will attempt anything. Are you expecting relief soon?'

'Yes, Sir. We have been taking eight-hour shifts. Weston and Stanley will be along to relieve us in half an hour or so. I haven't had any new word from Bates so I'll send one of them over to Granby street to relieve him.'

'Well make sure to remind whoever follows Wickham to update me on his whereabouts every time he moves, and tell them you've all been doing excellent work. This should be over soon. Thank you for your help.' Colonel Fitzwilliam instructed, patting his man on the back.

'Oh, it's no bother, Sir. It keeps me out from under the missuses feet and gives me something extra to spend on the little ones.' Perry responded good-naturedly, proud to have been of service.

The Colonel nodded to him for a final time then strode away. In the morning he would have to track down this diary of Wickham's and speak to Darcy about the promises he had made Mrs Younge. He wanted to get some rest before then.

When morning broke the Colonel was woken early by his valet as instructed. He wasted no time in dressing and rushed to read any more messages that had come for him. There was only one and it was from Weston to say that Wickham had remained with a prostitute all night before riding for Hertfordshire in the early hours. No other stops had been made in town and they had previously agreed that it was too risky to follow him outside of London where the presence of strangers was more noteworthy.

The Colonel was disappointed at first, thinking that this left them with no lead on where the diary might be hidden, but then an idea began to dawn on him. Wickham was clever enough to realise that his enemies might know of his association with Mrs Younge and track her down to take the things he had left with her. However, a night with a prostitute was not out of character for him so few would stop to think that he was doing anything other than the obvious when visiting one.

With this in mind, the Colonel hastened to the address that he had been given. He had no particular desire to be seen and have his name associated with this part of town, but it couldn't be helped. His urgent banging on the door was quickly answered by a girl who he didn't suppose could be much older than Georgiana, but trying to put this from his mind he conjured what he hoped was a winning smile.

'Well hello there, darling. I hear a soldier can find a good time here for the right price?' He drawled, holding up a shiny coin. He was entirely disgusted by the words he was saying, but they seemed to do their job.

'Of course, sir. Soldiers are always welcome.' She replied, thrusting her chest forward and looking up at him in a way that he presumed was supposed to be alluring. 'Won't you come inside?'

The Colonel allowed himself to be taken inside and lead to a room with a bed, waiting until the door was closed until he dropped his façade. The young woman tried to approach him but he quickly backed away with his hands up.

'Miss, what I am actually her for pertains to Mr Wickham. I need you to tell me exactly what you know about him.'

The girl looked shocked for a moment and then afraid.

'I don't know any George Wickham. If you aren't going to pay me then you'd better leave.'

'I know that isn't true. Wickham came here last night and did not leave until morning. As for money, I will pay for the information you give me.' The Colonel responded firmly.

'Fine, he was here last night, but I won't tell you anything. George loves me!' She replied passionately, folding her arms.

'George Wickham is a practised deceiver, madam. He tells many women that he loves them, but is never sincere.' The Colonel replied as gently as he could, pitying this young girl who had somehow already been drawn into such a reprehensible line of work.

'I don't believe you.' She said, her eyes narrowed.

'Can you read?' He asked, hoping that she was not illiterate.

She hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. The Colonel sighed, pulled three letters from his pocket and opened the first, beginning to read it aloud. They were from the pack that had found the night before, though he had been careful to choose three that did not indicate the identity of the women involved. He got almost halfway through before she broke into loud sobs.

'He said- he said he lov-loved me.' She gulped through her tears. 'He said that he was just saving up enough money so that we could run away together. He said he could take me away from this life. I do not believe you. You must be making this up. Why would you do this?' The Colonel patted her back awkwardly, waiting for her tears to calm.

'I am sorry, miss, but if I am right in thinking that you keep something here for him then I believe I may prove my point further.' He said.

'Yes.' She replied as she scrubbed the tears from her face, then she crossed to a wardrobe and rummaged in it, finding a leather-bound book. She thrust it towards the Colonel. 'There, now you will see. He is writing a novel and when he sells it we will have enough money to run away together.'

Pitying the young girl for her naivety and regretting that he must shatter her dreams, the Colonel took the book. He quickly opened it and found it full of Wickham's lazy scrawl. A quick flick through showed that Mrs Younge had been correct as to its contents and he couldn't wait to see it burn. Choosing a passage that caught his eye, he began to read out loud again.

'"After all that went down with Dickens, I have found a new place to hide this diary. I have worked these last several weeks to woo a prostitute girl into believing we are in love so that I can leave it with her. No one will suspect a thing if I am observed spending the night, so I can easily come here to write in secret. The girl is completely illiterate, so she has no idea what is truly written here. I convinced her that I was writing a novel so that I could sell it and save up the money we need to start a life together! The wench told me she did not care if I had money, she would marry me now, but I tricked her into believing that I would not tie her to me until I could provide for a family. As if I would ever bind myself to a penniless common whore!"'

'No, George would never say that!' The girl wailed, but the Colonel ignored her and continued.

'"The foolish girl believes that I am truly in love with her simply because I am the only man she has met who does not bed her. I merely had to say that I believed her still pure and would not take her to bed until we were married and she was completely taken in! Still, it is a shame that I will not be able to have my way with her, for she has a fine form."' The poor girl could no longer deny that the words were Wickham's, for he said things about their relationship that the Colonel could not possibly know. Her sorrow was uncomfortable to witness and Richard quickly asked if he could take the book, desperate to escape.

'Take it. Take it! I don't ever want to see it again.' She replied before breaking down into sobs again. The Colonel looked at her in regret. Sighing, he dropped some money on a side table and left her to her sorrow. Her situation was terrible, but there was little he could do.

Some time later Colonel Fitzwilliam was shown into the study of Darcy house with the book and wicker box.

'Richard,' Darcy greeted, 'you said you had important news?'

'Yes, I believe I may be ready to confront Wickham.' The Colonel announced, launching into the tale of his encounters with Mrs Younge and the unnamed prostitute.

Darcy listened carefully, expressing disapproval that his cousin had not taken more care of his own safety but pleasure at his success. He agreed wholeheartedly with the deal Richard had given Mrs Younge, his opinion of the woman immediately improving when he was told how Wickham had used her. He also expressed his concern for the girl that Wickham had used, but the Colonel refused to give him the address, pointing out that there were thousands of women stuck in prostitution across London and he could not save them all.

The cousins spent most of the afternoon in one another's company, with Darcy passing along the required amount of money for what had already taken place as well as what was still to come. Then, they drank a toast to good business, agreeing that they would meet again with Bingley on Tuesday morning so that the Colonel could tell them how his visit to Hertfordshire had gone before their evening with the Gardiners.

'If all goes well then this business will be tied up on the morrow and we will have nothing left to worry about.' The Colonel summed up as they left the study together.

'Thank you, Richard. But please, be careful, you should not underestimate Wickham.' Darcy cautioned him.

'I won't. Do not waste your time worrying over me.' The Colonel responded, nodding his farewell to his cousin as he took his coat from the butler. 'Pass along my regards to Georgie. Until Tuesday, then.'

* * *

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hi!**

 **Here is part 2 of Colonel Fitzwilliam dealing with Wickham. I hope you all like it as much as you liked the first part.**

 **A quick explanation of some of the choices I made in the last chapter:**

 **\- I didn't particularly want Mrs Younge to just be a horrible person and in the actual book she loses a lot by helping Wickham to seduce Georgiana, so I wanted to find an explanation for her actions. I'm glad that seemed to go down well.**

 **\- I did consider having Colonel Fitzwilliam help the prostitute in the last chapter, but when I was researching I found that there were an estimated 20,000 prostitutes in London at the time and I thought Colonel Fitzwilliam would probably take the more practical view that he couldn't really do anything about it. Darcy, on the other hand, would try to help anyway so CF refuses to give him the address because he doesn't want Darcy's reputation to suffer if people found out he had aided a prostitute and assumed it was because he had taken her as a mistress.  
**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The next day Colonel Fitzwilliam rode to Hertfordshire. He had gathered his resources and was ready to deal with Wickham. With him rode a man who had served him when he was last on the continent, fighting in Spain. He was loyal and could be trusted to deliver Wickham to the port in Liverpool where passage to America could be arranged, assuming they were successful in persuading him that this was his best option.

When they arrived in Meryton, they went straight to the house of Colonel Forster. Colonel Fitzwilliam had contacted him to explain the situation and the other man had invited him to stay in his own house while the business was sorted, aware that it could be seen as negligence on his part that Wickham had been allowed to accumulate such large debts and hoping to avoid trouble for it.

'Good evening sir, I am Colonel Fitzwilliam and this is my man, Davis.' He said in greeting after they were led to a small parlour where a middle-aged man and a younger woman received them.

'Ah, good evening, I am Colonel Forster and this is my wife, Mrs Forster. It is a pleasure to meet you.' The man replied.

'Enchanted, madam.' Richard bowed over the lady's hand.

'We shall be very pleased to accommodate you, sir. What fun we shall have!' She answered giggling, clearly oblivious to the serious nature of his stay. 'I hope you enjoy company, for there is a gathering at the Phillips' this evening and Mrs Phillips has already assured me that she will be delighted to receive you both.'

'That is very kind, we would be delighted. First, however, we must attend to our business. Colonel Forster, if you would...?'

'Of course, sir, if you come this way you can use my study.' They both followed the man, leaving Mrs Forster to entertain herself. Once they had reached the privacy of the study, Colonel Forster spoke again. 'I hope you will excuse my wife's presumptuousness sir, she is only young.'

'Certainly sir, we shall be glad of the entertainment.' Richard assured him. 'But to our business now. I intend to speak to Wickham at once; the sooner we can get this over with the better it will be for all parties involved. If it is not too much to ask I would like to conduct this conversation alone. Some things are better said in private and I believe my words may have more effect if Wickham sees there is no one else he can turn to.'

'I understand perfectly, you will not be disturbed. If you wait here then I shall summon Wickham. You may rest assured that he knows nothing of your presence or my knowledge of his debts.' Colonel Forster agreed.

'Excellent. Oh, and ah - best lock the door behind him when he enters. We don't want him to bolt.' Richard added. Forster nodded his consent and hurried away to send for Wickham. Davis loitered in the study for a minute and gave his master a knowing look.

'Give Wickham what he deserves.' He said. Colonel Fitzwilliam grinned back.

'Oh I will, don't you worry about that.'

A few minutes later, footsteps could be heard approaching the door. Wickham was completely unsuspecting of what awaited him inside his jovial commanding officer's study. At worst he thought that rumours of his debts may have circulated. These he could easily brush away with charming manners and false assurances as he had so often before.

With this in mind he entered the room confidently, certain this matter would soon be over and looking forward to an evening in fine company with pretty women fawning over him. When he caught sight of Colonel Fitzwilliam sitting behind the desk he came to an abrupt halt. For a moment he stood still, his mouth hanging open in shock, and then he turned to bolt but found to his horror that he was locked in.

'Good day Mr Wickham, won't you sit down?' The Colonel greeted with false pleasantry.

'I prefer to stand.' He answered stiffly, unsure where to look.

'Very well, I will stand too.' Colonel Fitzwilliam emerged from behind the desk, grinning predatorily. Somehow he managed to loom over Wickham despite being the shorter man.

Wickham quickly changed his mind, scrambling to the nearest seat and clinging to the armrests as though it would protect him. Ever since his childhood, he had been afraid of Darcy's older, stronger, less forgiving cousin. Silence reigned as each man waited for the other to speak first. Wickham was desperate to know what was happening and the Colonel was perfectly happy to let him stew in his worries for a while. Eventually, Wickham plucked up a little of his usual bravado.

'Actually, it's Lieutenant now.' He said nonchalantly.

'I beg your pardon?' Fitzwilliam gave him a dirty look, ready to pounce.

'Lieutenant Wickham, now that I'm in the regiment.'

'Oh no George, it isn't. You see, Colonel Forster and I had a little conversation and we just aren't sure that the army is right for you.' For a moment fear flashed across Wickham's face again.

'What might Miss Darcy have to say about that?' He tried to remind the Colonel of the ace he held. Surely he would not risk his cousin's reputation. 'I do have an insurance policy, you know. If anything happens to me...'

'You wouldn't be talking about this, would you?' The Colonel asked innocently, withdrawing the diary and the box containing the handkerchief and letters.

'Wha-how?' Wickham's face had gone grey in a mixture of shock and horror.

'Yes, Mrs Younge was rather co-operative once she remembered who I was and your other little friend quickly stopped protecting you when she saw some of the letters from the other women you claimed to love. It is rather incredible what a little money, a little fear and a little heartbreak can get you.' Richard said, flicking through the diary casually. 'This makes rather an interesting read, actually. I'm not surprised you had to flee from town. You have been being a naughty boy. I hate to think what all those bad people you annoyed are going to do to you when I let them know you don't have this anymore and tell them exactly where you are. Still, though, you might try to pursue a career as a novelist if you survive.'

Wickham tried to lunge across the table and snatch the book from his hands, but the Colonel was faster and deftly tossed it into the fire. He took the stack of letters from the wicker box then held the lid opened and showed Wickham the handkerchiefs within, before throwing it into the flames to join the book. The letters were still tied neatly in a pile on his lap and he offered Wickham a malicious smirk before carefully beginning to untie them.

'These are Georgiana's.' He held up six or seven letters written in his cousin's delicate hand to show Wickham before they followed the diary and handkerchief into the flames where they were quickly destroyed. Wickham moaned in desperation, eyes fixed on the remaining letters in the Colonel's hands.

'Please, you have destroyed everything that talks about Geor- Miss Darcy now, there is no need for you to burn the others!'

'Do you seriously expect me to believe that I could let you go now and you would cause me no further trouble? You seem to be mistaking me for Darcy. I will not simply let you walk away and line your pockets in the process. You should thank me for burning the rest of these letters rather than returning them to some of these girls' fathers!'

'They are all old, just of sentimental value to me!'

'Do not try to trick me, Wickham. The letters may not be dated but I met Miss Elizabeth Bennet in Hunsford and know that Lydia Bennet is her sister. These letters are not old at all, in fact, you only gave them to Mrs Younge two days ago.' He considered the rest of the letters for a final time before they too gained a closer acquaintance with the flames.

'Wh-what are you going to do to me?' Wickham stuttered, the anguish on his face as he watched all his precautions burn making it clear that he expected to suffer a similar fate.

'Well, here is how it is going to go, George. Darcy will pay off your debts for one final time and he has offered a further sum of one thousand pounds for you to make your way with. In return, you will accept passage to America and never return to England's shores. You may do what you like there, but you should be aware that you will no longer have Darcy's protection. If you make a mistake again it will never even reach his ears. You will simply have to pay for it yourself.'

'And if I choose not to agree?' Wickham asked carefully.

'Then it will be debtor's prison for you.'

'And what of Miss Darcy? The written proof might be gone, but I can still damage her reputation with rumours.'

'I did think you might say that George.' The Colonel sat back, twirling a sharp letter opener between his fingers, and looked at Wickham knowingly. 'But you see, Mr Darcy believes it will be debtor's prison. In reality, there are very few who will notice the absence of one little man who has just resigned from the militia in a time of war. You haven't made many true friends in your time George and particularly since you are on the run from so many people who you owe money it could be easy to see why you might keep your head down, even change your name. I'm sure you catch my meaning.'

'Someone would notice...' Wickham protested weakly.

'You don't sound very sure about that, George. Besides, even if they did, who would suspect the son of an Earl? There are some very nasty people who you owe a great deal, George. I would take America if I were you.' Wickham nodded to himself, clenched and unclenched his fists, then nodded again.

'I'll take America.'

'I thought you might. Now, you may return to your quarters to pack but say only that you must leave urgently to assist family. I will know if you say anything else, George, and you know what the consequences of that will be.'

'Y-y-yes.' Wickham stammered out.

Colonel Fitzwilliam finally allowed him to leave and returned to his quarters, filled with grim satisfaction at his triumph. He then met back up with the other men and assured them that his business had gone well.

Amongst the unpleasantness of dealing with Wickham, Colonel Fitzwilliam was determined to have some happiness in his trip. The gathering that Mrs Forster had invited them to that evening seemed the perfect setting for him to enjoy some good company while also putting into action his plan to improve his cousin's image and disparage Wickham's name.

With this in mind, he carefully explained to Mrs Forster that he wished to arrive early at the Phillips's to thank their hostess for her graciousness in including strangers into her party before she became too busy greeting others and making introductions. She accepted this easily, seeing it as a mark of this charming new Colonel's good breeding.

True to Richard's plan, the Forster party arrived at the Phillips' before any other guests and the necessary introductions were made. It was said only that Colonel Fitzwilliam was visiting Colonel Forster on military business. Managing to separate himself and his hostess from the rest of the group somewhat, Richard began his line of attack.

'I confess madam that while I am here on business I also have a personal motivation for wishing to venture to this part of the country.' He hinted.

'Indeed, sir?' Mrs Phillips's interest was immediately piqued.

'Yes, you see my cousin was staying near here for several months just before the Yule season and has told me much of the pleasant company to be found.' He flattered.

'Oh, then you must be the cousin of Mr Bingley!' She exclaimed, working out how this could be used to benefit her family.

'In fact, it is Mr Darcy who is my cousin. He was staying with Bingley.' Mrs Phillips, never one to be discreet, looked surprised.

'Oh, yes, I remember that gentleman too. He told you the company was pleasant?' She asked, trying to assimilate this new information with the image the whole community had built up of the solemn, proud Mr Darcy.

'Yes, exceedingly so.' The Colonel lied smoothly, knowing that the only thing Darcy had really found pleasant about the company was a certain Miss Bennet. 'My cousin is of a reserved nature and always prefers the country to town. But I may also claim another acquaintance who has recommended this place to me very much. My cousin and I have been staying with our Aunt at her estate in Kent for several weeks and there met Miss Elizabeth Bennet. We were much in company with her and she speaks very warmly of her home.'

'Oh!' Mrs Phillips jumped on this connection. 'She is the daughter of my sister, Mrs Bennet. You shall have the opportunity to meet the whole family tonight, bar the eldest who is currently in town.'

'There is another coincidence!' Colonel Fitzwilliam replied, 'While I have not yet met the eldest Miss Bennet, I am engaged to dine with the Gardiners along with my cousins and Mr Bingley on Tuesday and look forward to making her acquaintance then. I suppose Mr Gardiner must be your brother?'

'Indeed he is sir! How fortuitous that you should happen to have business here. You must tell me more of your acquaintance with my family.' It was a shock to Mrs Phillips to hear that Jane was to dine with Bingley and she was certain that her sister did not yet know. It seemed that the announcement they had been waiting on for months could soon come.

This new information on Mr Darcy also surprised her. It seemed that he may be far from being as proud and disagreeable as they thought. His cousin was certainly everything charming. Could there be a possible suitor for Elizabeth here? The Colonel definitely spoke of her with admiration.

'Of course madam, I would be happy to. I met Miss Elizabeth on several occasions at Rosings Park where she was often invited to visit as part of the Hunsford party - that is, she accompanied my Aunt's parson and his wife. Rosings is often a rather quiet old place and my cousin and I were glad of the lively company. As I am sure you know, your niece performs excellently on the pianoforte and often entertained us.

'When my cousin inquired after her family we found that the eldest Miss Bennet was residing in London and Darcy resolved that it would be polite to call on her when he returned to town. I believe part of his motivation in this may also have been for the benefit of his sister. But I see you are confused, I should explain a little more. My father - you understand - is the Earl of Matlock and naturally, as a third son, I went into the army. Being closest in age to my cousin I was left joint guardianship of Miss Darcy when my Uncle passed away. She has always been shy and is fast approaching the age where she must enter into society.

'I have heard much of Miss Bennet's good nature and believe Darcy may hope for his sister to gain a trustworthy friend. On his return to town, Darcy found that our good friend Bingley had not known of Miss Bennet's presence there either and was eager to accompany him. Unfortunately, I was prevented from accompanying them by business, but I understand that the visit was much enjoyed and returned not two days later. Having heard of me from both Miss Elizabeth and my cousins, Mrs Gardiner was kind enough to extend her invitation to dinner to include me despite not having actually made the acquaintance yet.'

'How wonderful sir!' Mrs Phillips exclaimed. The son of an Earl indeed? That could do very well for one of her nieces.

The most exciting bit of news was Mr Darcy's involvement though. Certainly, he had seemed disagreeable before, but now it seemed that he may even harbour his own attractions to dear Jane. Bingley may have five thousand a year but Darcy had ten and was also related to an Earl. It was of the utmost importance that Mrs Bennet be made aware of this development. While Mrs Phillips considered this the Colonel prepared for his next line of conversation, thinking how best to maximise the effect of the gossip he wished to spread.

'Madam, I cannot in good conscience go any longer without revealing to you the nature of my business in Meryton. You understand that I am telling you this in confidence and for your own protection.' He began solemnly. Sensing that she was about to hear something of immense importance, Mrs Phillips nodded eagerly. 'Very well madam. I confess that I am here on a rather more personal than military matter. Into your society has crept the most loathsome, the most duplicitous, the most contemptible cad - excuse my language - who ever did walk the earth. This man - by the name of Mr Wickham - is a gambler, a drinker and a seducer. He owes money in every county but by far the worst are his debts of honour. Farmer's daughters or gentlewoman - he sees no boundaries.

'My cousin has made it his business to pay his debts and attempt to provide for Wickham's victims as a mark of respect to the old Mr Darcy who was Wickham's Godfather and to Wickham's own father who was a good man. No matter what slander Wickham has tried to throw against his name, Darcy has always hoped to succeed in persuading him to reform.

'He had hoped that in the militia Wickham would learn to mend his ways, but alas that has not been the case. He has already run up debts of - no, it would not do to share the figure. I will only say that you may rest assured that my cousin has covered all costs to ensure no businesses here are damaged and Wickham will be leaving Meryton with me in the morning.'

'Oh, that is dreadful indeed sir! We are glad to have your protection from such a man. I must say that I never did trust Wickham's manner or comportment, but knew not how to voice my concerns with no real evidence.' Mrs Phillips affected a tone of deep distress, while inside she eagerly began to plan how to spread this news. To think that Mr Darcy had acted to protect them all!

'But away from such dark topics. I see more guests are beginning to arrive and I have monopolised your attention for too long. Would you do me the honour of introducing me to them?' Colonel Fitzwilliam deftly changed the subject, satisfied that his work was done.

'Of course sir, here are the Bennets now. I must introduce you and tell them of your connection!' With that, she whisked him away to enjoy a fine evening. Around the room at various points he heard 'son of an earl!', 'that's right, Mr Darcy' and 'who could have believed it of Wickham?' echoing and was pleased to see how well his plan had worked.

All in all, Colonel Fitzwilliam had a very pleasant evening and was in high spirits when the morning came. True to his word, Wickham was waiting with his belongings just as instructed. Clearly, he had decided that his chances with Darcy's money in America were better than his chances trying to run penniless from his debtors in England. He had recovered slightly from the Colonel's intimidation tactics the day before and offered a cocky grin.

'I suppose Darcy is too much of a coward to come and see me off himself then, is he?' Wickham smirked at Colonel Fitzwilliam, trying to put on a show of confidence to the terrifying military man.

'The only coward I know is you, Wickham.' The Colonel replied menacingly. 'You should just be glad that Darcy protects you out of respect for his father's memory. If it were me, you would be facing a very different fate.' He stepped forward to illustrate his point and Wickham stumbled over himself to get away, face white. 'Now, as we discussed yesterday, Darcy has agreed to provide one thousand pounds for you to settle. This is a very generous sum, especially considering the fact that he has already laid out far more than this to settle your debts. Because of this, you will only take five hundred and you will be pleased with it. Davis will give you the money before you board.'

Wickham did not dare to respond, only nodding to signal his compliance to whatever the colonel wished. The carriage was loaded in silence and Davis was already inside, ready to depart for Liverpool where Wickham would be leaving from. Just before they left, the Colonel called out again.

'Oh, and George, if you ever return to England I will find you and deal with you. Darcy cannot defend you from something he has no knowledge of.' With this, he signalled to the carriage to move off. George Wickham sat trembling in his seat, determined that once he left the shores of England he would never come back.

As it was a Sunday morning, Colonel Fitzwilliam thought his purpose best served by accompanying his hosts to church in Meryton after seeing Wickham off. He was of a rather cynical disposition and knew the true purpose of church for most people was the gossip that could be had after the service. Hearing what the Meryton congregation had to share today would make it clear how successful his attempts to discredit Wickham and improve the opinion of his cousin had been.

The Colonel was attentive during the service, sending his sincere thanks that dealing with Wickham had gone so smoothly, but he could not help being distracted by the whispering and giggles coming from a group of young ladies. He looked over and identified the main source of the disturbance as Lydia Bennet. Sighing, he pressed his hand over the inner pocket of his coat where he had kept three of Wickham's letters. They were the three most recent, written by Lydia Bennet.

The letters were certainly not the most scandalous, but the very fact that she had written them would be enough to ruin the young girl. Though the Colonel was relatively sure that she had not actually been physically compromised, she obviously had no respect for propriety. He had not shown Darcy these letters yet, but seeing how Miss Lydia behaved in person he was now resolved to. Her father did not take the trouble to check her behaviour, but if he saw these letters he might take more care. However, that was a choice he would leave to his cousin.

The service soon came to a close and Colonel Fitzwilliam found himself surrounded by a gaggle of well-wishers, all eager to speak to him again or make his acquaintance if they had not been present at the Phillips's the night before. He was pleased to find that no one seemed inclined to defend Wickham and word of all his misdemeanours had spread quickly. More than one shopkeeper approached to thank him for settling the debts Wickham had built up with them and he was quick to defer all credit to Darcy.

Eventually, he came face to face with Mrs Bennet again and put on his most winning smile. Her conversation was rather ridiculous, but he had dealt with worse. It seemed that she had happily accepted the gossip he had been spreading, being pleased to have been one of the first to hear it the night before. She appeared even more happy to accept that rich, handsome Mr Darcy was really a knight in shining armour and proclaimed that she had known it all along. He skilfully allowed her to persuade him to call at Longbourn the next morning before he rode back to London, then made his excuses and departed with Colonel and Mrs Forster.

The next morning found the Colonel riding slowly up Longbourn's driveway, admiring the grounds of the estate. It was not particularly large, but he could imagine Miss Elizabeth strolling down every path, laying a delicate hand against each tree and laughing joyously along with the birdsong. It was an image he found charming. Shaking these thoughts from his head, he rode up to the front of the house and dismounted, handing his horse off to a man who came out to help him.

'Colonel Fitzwilliam! We are delighted to welcome you to our home, sir.' Mrs Bennet greeted as Colonel Fitzwilliam was shown into the parlour.

'Not as delighted as I am to be here, madam, I assure you.' He replied gallantly, deftly executing a bow in her direction. Lydia and Kitty giggled at this, always pleased to admire a man in a red coat. Though the Colonel was not particularly handsome, he had a distinguished air, excellent manners and the all-important uniform which was enough to gain their attention.

'We must all thank you once more, sir, for your protection of our little neighbourhood. Removing such a foul villain as Mr Wickham shows you to be a true gentleman.' Mrs Bennet gushed.

'Of course, Mrs Bennet. My cousin and I could not in good conscience leave him to cause harm when we knew what he truly was.' The Colonel answered, glancing over at Miss Lydia to see if the mention of the man who had been seducing her seemed to spark any reaction. The girl's lively spirit did not seem at all affected by the revelation that Wickham was a villain and she showed no shame at having been entirely improper in her conduct with him.

'Will you be remaining in the area with the militia, Colonel?' Lydia Bennet suddenly inquired.

'No, I am returning to London today and will remain there until I return to my own regiment.' He responded carefully.

'That is a shame, it would have been so good to have another unmarried Colonel in Meryton. No matter, a new lieutenant must be coming to replace Wickham. I do hope he is very handsome, for I will not be happy unless he is even more dashing than Wickham was in regimentals.' Lydia proclaimed, proving that she definitely hadn't learnt anything from her experience with Wickham. Perhaps she even still believed that he had really loved her and she had been an exception to his usual behaviour, though her feelings for him were obviously no deeper than her own vanity.

'Yes, yes, I'm sure that will be, Lydia.' Mrs Bennet waved away her youngest child, seemingly oblivious to the impropriety she had been displaying. 'Really, Colonel, you must dine with us at any time when you are in the area. I am sure Mr Bingley will be at Netherfield again soon and then you must all join us. You must be sure to bring your cousin with you.'

'I thank you for the kind offer, madam, but I am afraid that I must return to my regiment soon. I am sure, however, that the company of Mr Bingley and my cousin will more than make up for my absence.' The Colonel replied.

Mrs Bennet may have attempted to look disappointed, but it was clear that her main aim was to discern whether Mr Darcy was likely to return to the area. Though it would please her to have a daughter married to the son of an earl, Mr Darcy's ten thousand a year would please her far more. After this, they spoke of nothing of very great significance, but the Colonel made sure to drop mentions of Darcy into to the conversation at every opportunity until the time came for him to depart.

* * *

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello!**

 **I haven't had much time to edit this week so this chapter might still have a few issues in it but I wanted to make sure I posted it today. A review also pointed out that in chapter 15 the Colonel's interaction with the prostitute wasn't realistic as if the girl had been able to read she probably would have read Wickham's diary. I completely agree and am going to go back and change this interaction to try to make it seem more realistic/ make more sense. Hopefully, I will get that done tomorrow (though the outcome will be the same so there is no need to go back and re-read it unless you particularly want to).**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The wait for Tuesday to come was agonising for both Jane and Bingley but, eventually, come it did. With it came a sudden rush of nerves and anticipation as Bingley realised that by the end of the day he would be engaged if all went to plan. Unable to control his emotions, Bingley was a bundle of energy when he called on Darcy that morning to meet with Colonel Fitzwilliam. He arrived rather earlier than planned due to his excitement and could not remain still for more than a minute at a time. It was a long-suffering Darcy who sat steadily trying to write letters of business when the Colonel finally arrived.

'Morning all!' Colonel Fitzwilliam cried, entering the study. Bingley bounced over to him.

'A fine morning, is it not Colonel?'

'Yes, very fine indeed.' He replied, grinning at the despairing look on Darcy's face. 'It looks like you have been busy.'

'Sorry.' Bingley apologised immediately, eyeing the large amount of correspondence which Darcy still had to get through. 'I just cannot calm my nerves. I am planning to propose tonight.'

'Ah, and finally win your angel's hand, congratulations then!'

'But what if she does not accept?'

'Nonsense, Bingley, I am certain you have no need to worry. So, you intend to leave Darcy and me as old bachelors while you tie the knot. Well, I wish you every possible happiness and from what I have heard of the lady you shall be very content indeed!' The men grinned at each other, shaking hands in preliminary congratulations. Darcy just sighed, watching them in despair. Apparently, he was the only one of them with any work ethic at all.

'Yes, well, delightful as Bingley's marriage prospects are, I have just spent over an hour hearing all about them, so, Richard, if you wouldn't mind us getting to the point?' He grumbled.

'Oh, very well, Darcy, if you insist on being miserable.' Richard said, smirking. 'Everything came off very smoothly if you must know. Luckily Colonel Forster was very obliging, probably trying to cover his own back since he is Wickham's commanding officer and is thereby responsible for his actions. I was able to meet with the scoundrel immediately and - ah - persuade him that America was his best option. His reaction was quite comical when he watched the precautions he had put in place go up in flames.

'I then also had the advantage of attending a gathering at the Phillips's that evening - you know, the other Aunt and Uncle of the Bennets - and I may have started a few little rumours about Wickham, just to be sure.'

'Was that really necessary?' Darcy frowned, reluctant to have his private affairs spread about even if there was no harm in it. Surely by spreading rumours, they were only sinking to Wickham's level.

'Of course it was necessary! How else could I have informed them that my cousin was a knight in shining armour, galloping to their rescue with a great deal of money?' Richard grinned.

'And did you also remind them what an eligible match I was while you were doing this?' Darcy responded drily.

'Oh no,' the Colonel smirked again, 'they managed to recall that all by themselves. Anyway, it was a pleasant evening spent in lively company and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The next morning I saw Wickham off to Liverpool with a man I would trust my life to. It should take them about a week to journey there and perhaps a few days longer for Wickham's passage to be secured but I hope to hear from my man within the fortnight to confirm that he is gone from our shores forever.'

'That all appears to be in order then.' Darcy said, nodding in satisfaction. 'Is there anything else that we need to discuss or can we put this business behind us?'

'Actually, I'm afraid there is something rather more serious I feel you both must be made aware of.' Colonel Fitzwilliam answered, his tone sobering. 'As a precaution, I checked all of the letters that Wickham had saved and was surprised to find a name I recognised. It seems his most recent dalliance was with Miss Lydia Bennet.'

'What?' Darcy stood up abruptly, his expression alarmed.

'There is no cause for panic.' Richard soothed. 'I was in the area for several days and heard no rumours surrounding her. Luckily it appears that they had not yet shown any public preference for one another. Her letters, though highly improper, made it clear that they had not engaged in physical intimacy of any sort either.

'I took tea with the Bennets on Monday morning, hoping to find that Miss Lydia's manner had been subdued by the revelation that Wickham had not felt anything for her, but she was as boisterous as ever. She voiced her hope that Wickham's replacement was as dashing in regimentals as he was and made it clear that she was ready to throw herself in the path of any man in a red coat.

'The letters are here. I believe you should both read them and decide what action you wish to take. Mr Bennet appears to be a negligent father, but perhaps if he sees this proof of how close his family has come to ruination it will spur him into action. You are both better acquainted with the family than I, so I will leave this choice up to you, but I urge you to act before it is too late.'

Bingley and Darcy spent the next half hour contemplating the letters that Lydia Bennet had sent to Wickham. Each blushed at the naïve girl's wish that Wickham would take her in his arms and make her a "true woman". If this ever got out her reputation and that of her family would be in tatters. The only saving grace was that her words made it clear she had never actually felt his touch.

'What are we to do?' Bingley finally asked, after reading the final and most graphic letter for the fifth time. 'The Colonel is right, we cannot allow Miss Lydia to go unchecked after this. To think of the pain it would bring my poor Jane if she saw this...'

'Let us win one battle at a time, my friend.' Darcy said wearily. 'First, you must win the hand of your angel. After that, we can contemplate how best to deal with Miss Lydia. Richard, was there any more you needed to tell us?'

'Oh yes, just one thing.' Richard replied. 'George and I had a little chat and we decided that he would only need five hundred pounds of the thousand you offered.'

'George decided this?' Darcy raised an eyebrow sceptically.

'As I said, we had a little chat and he soon came round to my point of view. After all, you have already laid out so much money to settle his debts. In any case, he is part of the way to America by now so there is little you can do about it.' The cousins locked eyes for a moment.

'Very well.' Darcy conceded. He would ensure that the rest of the money went to the Colonel for his work, although the proud military man would never accept it that way. It would have to reach him through his father, but this would pose no obstacle for Darcy. He already kept a number of small investments secretly which were to be passed on to his cousin when he retired.

This business being completed, Bingley and the Colonel returned to their own homes so that they could take care of any other business matters for the day, finally leaving Darcy in peace. They both agreed to return to Darcy house in the evening so that they could all travel to the Gardiner's together as there would be little point in each of them making the journey to that part of town separately.

There was more than a little anticipation hanging in the air of the Darcy carriage as it rumbled towards Gracechurch Street that evening. Colonel Fitzwilliam was eager to meet the only Bennet who he had not yet made the acquaintance of. He had heard much of her beauty and kindness from both Miss Elizabeth and Bingley and wondered if the reality could live up to the rumours. Bingley was certainly besotted with her and Georgiana enjoyed her company, but despite all of this Darcy had shown little interest.

They arrived exactly on time thanks to the absence of the often tardy Miss Bingley and were shown in. What was the use in being fashionably late and missing out on hours that could have been spent in good company?

Upon meeting Miss Bennet everything fell in to place in Colonel Fitzwilliam's mind. Her eyes were an innocent baby blue where Miss Elizabeth's were an intelligent, sparkling brown. Her hair was a straight golden-blonde rather than a cascade of brown curls. Her skin was fairer and free of freckles, suggesting far less time spent outside in the sun. There was some of her sister in her face, but only a little.

Tame. The word echoed unbidden through his head. Miss Bennet had everything of the classical beauty that was so desirable in the ton, but nothing of the wild beauty which her sister was full of. It was a face that Darcy must have seen a thousand times before, thrust at him by matchmaking mothers who wanted to catch for their daughters a rich husband.

Colonel Fitzwilliam caught himself. Miss Elizabeth was his cousin's great love, not his own. He had better be more careful before his emotions ran away from him and he became besotted with a woman he could not have. Too late, the devil inside whispered back at him. Ignoring this distressing realisation he attempted to be his usual self, greeting their hosts with enthusiasm and paying all of the required compliments.

Bingley naturally drifted over to his angel and was quickly followed by Georgiana who wished to learn more of her new friend. This left he and Darcy to converse with Mr and Mrs Gardiner. Thankfully Darcy was more vocal than usual, attempting to give a good impression to Miss Elizabeth's favourite relations, so he was able to take less of the share of conversation than was the norm. They spoke pleasantly of fishing, theatre, the merits of town versus the country and Mr Gardiner's business until it was announced that dinner had been served.

Darcy escorted his sister through to the dining room and helped her into the place marked with her name, happily noting that their hosts had thought to place her next to Miss Bennet. It was a relief to confirm his impression that they would not neglect his sister's comfort in order to try to forward a match between Bingley and their niece. Bingley and the Colonel sat opposite the young ladies while he sat beside his cousin, opposite Mrs Gardiner and at the left hand of Mr Gardiner who took his place at the head of the table.

This arrangement also pleased Darcy as he had fallen easily into conversation with the sensible older man who was both knowledgeable and well read. Although he had noticed that his cousin was a little quieter than usual, he assumed that this was to allow him to take the lead in the conversation so that he could impress Elizabeth's relations and was grateful for this consideration. He knew that she was close to her Aunt and Uncle and often spoke of them fondly. This led him to believe that gaining their good opinion of him would go a long way towards gaining her own approval.

With this in mind, he once again applied himself to being agreeable, ensuring that he was both complimentary enough as to be well received and sincere enough that he did not become a simpering fool like Miss Bingley or Mr Collins. The pleasant conversation that arose from this made Darcy realise that if he only applied himself more often he may not dislike society so much.

Meanwhile, the rest of the party were also conversing pleasantly. Jane had to regularly catch herself, remembering that it would not do to let her fancy for Mr Bingley lead her to neglect her young friend. She did her best to include Georgiana in the conversation, speaking of music although she had little interest in it as she knew it was the young girl's passion. Bingley observed all of this and it warmed his heart, confirming that his angel was the kindest and most wonderful woman of his acquaintance. What a brilliant mother she will be. He imagined her carrying his child and quickly had to stop before he became overwhelmed.

All too soon dinner came to an end and the gentlemen retired to Mr Gardiner's study for brandy and cigars while the ladies moved to the parlour. Darcy and Bingley each accepted a glass thankfully but the Colonel chose to abstain, concerned that if he allowed alcohol to loosen his tongue then he may say something he came to regret. This piqued Darcy's concern. Earlier he had assumed that his cousin was only quiet because he knew Darcy and Bingley had to make a good impression, but the continued uncharacteristic behaviour was more worrying.

He brushed this aside as he knew that he could question Richard later. For now, he really did need to make a good impression with Mr Gardiner. The gentlemen soon gravitated back to the ladies in the parlour, eager as Bingley was to return to his Miss Bennet. By design, music was requested from Georgiana and Darcy and the Colonel engaged Mr and Mrs Gardiner in conversation so that Bingley and Jane were afforded some privacy. It was then that the following took place.

'Miss Bennet, it is my greatest regret that I was never able to properly take my leave of you in November when I left Hertfordshire. I was certain at the time that I would be back in the county in only a few days, else I never would have left so abruptly.'

'Mr Bingley, it is really not necessary-'

'It is, Miss Bennet. You see, on my return I had intended to ask you something very important. As I was never able to then, I will do so now. I must tell you that you are the most remarkable woman that I have ever met and I cannot imagine going another day without being beside you.'

'Mr Bingley I - I don't know what to say.' Jane blushed scarlet.

'Say you will marry me, dearest Jane.'

'Oh Charles, of course I will!' The couple turned to find that everyone present was watching them.

'Well?' Asked Mrs Gardiner expectantly.

'We are engaged!' Bingley announced with joy. 'Oh lord, I must ride to Hertfordshire at once to speak with Mr Bennet!' Congratulations were offered all around and then Mr Gardiner approached Bingley.

'Well sir, as my brother Bennet is not here, I would ask that you accompany me to my study. It seems we have some matters to talk over.'

'Yes, sir.' Bingley began to look nervous again but he followed Mr Gardiner obediently. Once they reached the older man's study and were safely ensconced inside Mr Gardiner sat back for a moment and considered.

'You place me in a difficult position young man.' He accused.

'Yes, sir.' Bingley answered meekly.

'On the one hand, I can see the merits of such a match. I am reliably informed that you would provide for her well and I believe that she cares for you a great deal. However, I also have objections.

'First and foremost is the pain which you have already caused her. Whether you knew of her presence in town or not, it is not the mark of a true gentleman to leave a lady he has been paying particular attention to for several months without so much as a farewell. Even had you thought her to still be in Hertfordshire, that is only perhaps half a day's ride from here and a barrier which any very great love could easily overcome.

'In addition to this, there is the behaviour of your sister. Miss Bingley called upon us here around two months ago and made clear her disdain of both our situation here and my niece's company. This is ironic considering that your background is very similar to mine. You must remember that my niece is the daughter of a gentleman, no matter who her Aunts and Uncles are. Why should she demean herself to connecting with those in trade when they have treated her so abominably?

'All of this aside, Jane is of a sweet nature which will prevent her from taking action against those who do her wrong. I will not have her living in a house where those around her think they can treat her poorly because of it. What have you to say to all this?'

Bingley looked sufficiently cowed at all of these criticisms and began tentatively. 'I am aware that my sister's conduct has not been what it should be and I have already confronted her over it. She has been warned that if any insult is issued against my wife she will no longer be welcome under our roof. My other sister, Mrs Hurst, will reside with her own husband in their townhouse after I am married and if Caroline becomes an issue she may be welcome with them or with our relations in the North.

'As for my own mistakes, I cannot take back the time I have wasted but I can assure you that I will never make such a mistake again. It was my own insecurity and doubt which led me to abandon your niece, not a wish to cause her pain, though I know this is no real excuse. I should have returned to Hertfordshire - in fact, I should never have left - but, as they say, in hindsight things are always clearer.'

'Very well, Bingley.' Mr Gardiner sighed. 'Despite your shortcomings, I do believe that you are a good match for Jane. Of course, it is Mr Bennet's permission that you really need but I will advise that he gives it. Be warned though, the last he will remember of you is the pain you brought to his daughter. I will write a brief letter now explaining affairs and ask that Jane does the same. We shall give them to you before you leave and you may present them to Mr Bennet when you petition him. I would suggest that you also draw up settlement papers and take them with you for him to review. If I know my brother, he shall want to know exactly how his daughter will be provided for.'

'Thank you, sir.' Bingley replied, relieved that at least one uncomfortable conversation was over with.

As Mr Gardiner had said, letters were written to explain the situation to Mr Bennet. This was concluded quickly and the evening was soon over as Bingley would have to rise early to get to Hertfordshire and back within the next day. During the course of this Bingley begged Darcy to accompany him for support. Unable to refuse his younger friend almost anything, he agreed reluctantly, also realising that this may be a much-needed chance to win over the Bennet family himself. Luckily, Darcy had reminded Bingley to prepare settlement papers before he proposed so there need be no delay in meeting with Mr Bennet.

Inside the Darcy carriage, Colonel Fitzwilliam rested his head back against the plush cushions and massaged his temple discretely. Bingley and Georgiana were too elated to notice his uncharacteristic silence, but Darcy shot him a concerned look. They soon came upon the Hurst's house in Grosvenor square and Bingley disembarked, leaving with further congratulations and wishes for his future happiness.

'To Matlock house now, sir?' The driver leant down to ask Darcy.

'No, straight home please, Dawson.' He replied, eyes never wavering from his cousin's face. Colonel Fitzwilliam did not protest, knowing that if they did not speak now they would have to later. Darcy was not one to forget quickly.

If Georgiana thought there was anything odd about their behaviour she did not voice it, though it had been a long evening for her and she was most likely too exhausted to notice. It was not unusual for Richard to return and share a nightcap with her brother when they were both in town and there was always room available for him at Darcy house. After alighting the men said goodnight to Georgiana in the hallway and retreated to Darcy's study. He poured them both a brandy and sat down.

'You have not been yourself this evening Richard. Tell me what is troubling you.' Darcy cut straight to the point.

'Oh, it's nothing Darcy, just a slight headache.' Richard tried to brush him off. Darcy sighed and contemplated him over the rim of his glass.

'Cousin, as one who had pleaded a headache on many occasions to explain away my attitude, let me tell you that it is not a very convincing excuse.' He tipped his head back and drained his glass then refilled it. Richard followed suit, grimacing at the sharp tang of the potent liquid and hoping that a few more glasses would drown his sorrows.

'Well then cousin, as one who has allowed you to plead a headache on several occasions despite not being very convinced by your excuse, please could you return the favour?'

'Hmmm, a good point. But no, I often struggle with company while you never do, so I believe my concern is valid.'

'Alright then.' Richard sighed. 'You are correct, there is something wrong, but I do not think either of us will benefit from you hearing it.'

'Richard, you are like a brother to me. I want to hear, even if you do not think I will like it.'

'You forget, I already have two brothers and I know the consequences of fighting with them. I may be the strongest now, but I am also the youngest and have taken as many beatings as I ever wish too. Besides, my brothers and I are barely cordial to each other, I would hate such a fate to befall us.'

'Even so, I wish to know what is troubling you. You are a good man Richard. I do not believe there is anything you could have done that will make me think less of you.' Darcy persisted.

'Very well Darcy, but do not say I did not warn you. It seems I too have fallen in love with a woman I cannot have.' Darcy looked confused for a moment.

'With Miss Bennet?' He asked in shock. 'I know she is beautiful, but I hardly think one evening is enough to fall in love Richard. Why, I do not believe I saw you exchange more than two sentences with one another!'

'Yes, she is beautiful, but no, I did not fall in love with her.' Richard replied, rubbing his forehead and willing the alcohol to soon take effect. 'Rather, meeting her made me realise what I had tried to deny before. All I could think when I looked at her and talked to her was how inadequate she was in every way. How in everything she was merely an empty shell in comparison to her sister. How no other woman could compare to Miss Elizabeth Bennet.' This was met with absolute silence and a range of emotions flitted across Darcy's face, almost too fast to follow. Suddenly, his stone cold mask descended and a controlled calmness ruled him.

'Then I wish you every happiness cousin. I am sure you will be most content together.' He answered at length.

'Darcy! I am not going to pursue the woman you are in love with.' The Colonel cried incredulously.

'Why not?' He asked tonelessly. 'You make her laugh, she respects you, and she could easily learn to love you. And you love her.'

'As do you! I am a soldier Darcy. I have watched men die. I have killed men! I could not inflict that on one as young and innocent as Miss Bennet. Besides, what do you propose we would live on? I hardly think that her dowry and my salary combined would be anywhere near enough to support the lifestyle we are both accustomed to. No. Better by far that she becomes Mrs Darcy of Pemberley. You will be able to afford her every joy, every luxury which she so deserves. I must return to the continent and do my duty by my country.'

'Richard I-' Darcy began, looking uncharacteristically vulnerable, '-I do not want that. I do not want such a thing to come between us. If one of us cannot be happy then neither of us shall be. We will allow Miss Elizabeth to leave our lives.' Richard just smiled a weary smile and shook his head.

'That will not do cousin. I have watched you try to forget her for months, though I did not know what was affecting you at the time. I will not have you suffer on my behalf when it is not necessary. Bingley is marrying Miss Bennet, which means Miss Elizabeth will be a constant presence in your life. I want you to find happiness, Cousin, and if you could bring it to her at the same time then I shall be content.'

* * *

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hi!**

 **Sorry for the slightly late update, I got caught up in the chaos of Christmas preparations and when I looked at this chapter yesterday thinking it was pretty much ready to go up I realised that I just wasn't happy with it. It has now undergone some rewriting and I am much more satisfied with it.** **Thanks for all your support and Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates it.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Early the next morning Bingley was at the entrance to Darcy house once more, desperate to rush to Hertfordshire and gain Mr Bennet's approval for his daughter's engagement. Darcy and the Colonel, who had remained at Darcy house the night before, greeted him rather wearily. After their conversation the previous evening they had continued to drink into the early hours of the morning and were now somewhat hung-over, but they easily explained this to Bingley as drinking to his future happiness and no more thought was given to it.

Darcy was disappointed not to have a chance to speak to his cousin again in private. He strongly suspected that the Colonel would now avoid him until he returned to his regiment so as to escape any further conversation of their shared love. The guilt he felt knowing that it would bring Richard such pain if he successfully courted Elizabeth was almost overwhelming. He doubted that he would be selfless enough to give her up simply because she had a more eligible suitor and he could not help feeling that this proved his cousin was the worthier man. However, for the past weeks he had allowed himself to believe that he might actually have a future with Elizabeth and that was a dream that he did not have the strength to give up. Not even for Richard.

Darcy was snapped out of his thoughts by Bingley calling his name, expecting an answer to some question that he had not heard. He simply nodded and this seemed enough to satisfy his friend, who continued to talk so rapidly that Darcy was surprised he was able to breathe. Richard caught his eye at this and the cousins grinned at each other before each remembered the position they were in. Darcy shook his head briefly, hoping that it could convey everything he felt, and the Colonel gave a sad smile in return.

Bingley continued to talk, oblivious to what had transpired. Luckily, his joy was great enough that he required very little input into his conversation and he kept a steady flow going as they broke their fast and prepared to depart. The cousins studiously avoided each other's eyes and mustered as much cheer as they were able to. In almost no time the horses were prepared and Darcy bid Colonel Fitzwilliam farewell with the heavy feeling that things would never be the same between them again.

'Are you certain everything is well Darcy? You do not seem yourself this morning.' Bingley asked when they stopped to water their horses along the way. Darcy hesitated for a moment before answering. He could hardly explain that he had just discovered he and his cousin were both in love with the same woman, who also currently hated him and was about to become Bingley's sister in law.

'Yes, Charles. Do not worry on it.' He tried.

'You hesitated, Darcy, which means you are hiding something. You know that you can always tell me your troubles.' Bingley said with big, pleading eyes and an earnest expression. Darcy sighed. It could not hurt to tell him a half-truth.

'I am sorry to be bleak when you have such joy to celebrate, Charles. My cousin informed me last night that he must return to the continent not two weeks hence. That is what troubles me; I wish that things were different, that he was not a soldier, that he was born first not third. I think of what might have been.'

'Might have been is a dangerous game, old man. Richard knows what he is doing. There is no use fretting over him when he has not yet even left the country.'

'I do not fret,' Darcy told his young friend indignantly, 'I ponder wisely.'

'You do fret. You fret and mope and brood constantly. It is your defining characteristic. You're well known for it.' Bingley teased.

'Remind me why on earth I agreed to ride to Hertfordshire with you?'

'Was it not for my stellar wit?'

'Certainly not.'

'Why, then it must have stemmed from a burning desire to meet Mrs Bennet again!' Bingley swung himself back up into the saddle grinning.

'I believe that may be the most ridiculous statement I have ever heard.' Darcy replied, following suit.

They made good time on the road to Hertfordshire and arrived in the mid-morning. As they rode through Meryton, Darcy noticed several caps doffed to him in a show of respect and thought it remarkable the difference that an act of kindness could make in his general reception there. It seemed that Colonel Fitzwilliam had been very successful in persuading the town to think ill of Wickham and well of Darcy, but then where large sums of money were involved it was easy to change opinions quickly.

Bingley was also received relatively warmly as he had given a generally good impression when he was in residence at Netherfield, but some blamed him for the abandonment of Miss Bennet and abrupt departure so were frostier than they were towards his friend. It was the first time in a long while that Darcy could remember being welcomed more warmly than his cheerful friend where rank was not involved.

The taste of the gentleman that he could be if he only tried to give a good impression stirred something within him and for the first time he truly realised that one day he could be worthy of Elizabeth's affections. Exhilarated by this, he rode on with new enthusiasm for the trip, determined that he could make a good impression on Elizabeth's family if it brought him closer to her. Mrs Bennet's uncomfortable prying and veiled insinuations would be nothing to Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley.

Even as he grew in confidence his friend lost it. Some of the looks he had noticed as they rode through the small town reminded him that he had left with no farewell and no explanation the previous winter despite his marked attentions to Miss Bennet and not returned for several months. This could hardly have given a good impression of his intentions. As they approached Longbourn, Bingley turned nervously to Darcy.

'Wish me luck.' He said unsteadily.

'You do not need it.' Darcy replied firmly. 'Mr Bennet would be a fool to refuse you.'

Even as he said this he remembered that Mr Bennet had turned away Mr Collins, his own heir, and could have no qualms turning away another eligible young man. That was a different situation though; Collins had not had Miss Elizabeth's consent while Bingley had Miss Bennet's and two letters to prove it. There was no point in worrying Bingley further by suggesting that he might not be able to gain Bennet's consent when there was no guarantee that it would happen.

They soon arrived at the main house and dismounted, knocking on the door. The housekeeper ushered them inside, informing them that Mrs Bennet would receive them in the parlour, but Bingley requested that he been seen straight to Mr Bennet's study before he could lose his nerve. Bingley entered the study nervously with the feeling of a young boy about to be scolded for a misdeed. His dearest Jane had been utterly forgiving of his mistakes but he doubted her father would be so quick to forget.

'Well, Mr Bingley,' Mr Bennet peered at him from across the room, 'you have returned then, have you?'

'I come from London sir, from your brother Gardiner. These missives explain everything.' Bingley replied, handing over the two letters he carried with trepidation. Mr Bennet looked at him for a moment longer, then opened the first letter and began to read. He took his time, considering every point, face betraying nothing.

 _Brother,_  
 _From your mode of receiving this you may already suspect the subject to which it pertains and in any_ _case Jane is also writing so I will be brief. Mr Bingley has made Jane an offer of marriage which she has accepted. He is visiting you today to ask for your consent. While I realise that the gentleman has not been a consistent suitor, I believe his intentions to be good and his apologies sincere. He is perhaps a little young and inexperienced, but he has friends who will ensure that this cannot be taken advantage of. On the_ _whole, I believe that Jane would be well situated with him, though, of course, I defer to your better knowledge of your daughter and the gentleman in question._  
 _Best wishes for your health and that of our family,_  
 _Edward Gardiner_

Once he had finished Mr Gardiner's letter he moved on to Jane's without breaking the silence.

 _Dear Father,_  
 _I realise that you may read Uncle Gardiner's letter before mine and therefore will already have received our best wishes for your health and happiness, but I shall repeat them anyway. I shall also repeat the assurance that we are all in good health here at Gracechurch Street and add that I received a letter just yesterday from Lizzy confirming the same._

 _What else I have to say you shall likely also have heard from Uncle and possibly from Mr Bingley as well, but I suspect in this area you shall wish for my opinion more. Mr Bingley has made me an offer of marriage. Although he believes that all between us is forgiven, this is not true. When he left it hurt me a great deal and although it is not in my nature to hold a grudge I cannot easily forget the pain he has caused me._

 _You may ask, after this admission, why I have then accepted him. The answer is simple: I love him. I am under no illusion that he is perfect. I am under no illusion that it will always be simple or easy or painless. I simply do not wish to live without him. He is a good man and, with age, I believe he will learn to be more consistent. For this reason, I hope that you will give him your consent. I know that you must have your entertainment and will not begrudge you it, but please do not frighten him too much. I love him, papa._  
 _Your daughter,_  
 _Jane_

Finally, he put the letters down and looked up at Bingley again. Unnerved by the silence, Bingley shifted uncomfortably, fighting the urge to wipe sweat from his brow.

'I see you have made my daughter an offer of marriage.'

'Yes sir, I-'

'Silence! This is my house and you shall only speak when I give you licence to. Now, what makes you think you are worthy of my daughter's hand?'

'Well sir, I have a good situation in life and you are well acquainted with Netherfield Park which I lease. My income is around five thousand a year so I am perfectly able to provide-'

'I asked you what made you worthy of her, not what is your financial situation!' Mr Bennet barked, determined to make the young man wriggle a little before granting him anything. Bingley considered for a moment, composing himself, and then began again.

'Of course, sir. What I mean to say is that Miss Bennet is the most kind, caring and forgiving soul that I have ever had the privilege of meeting. I am not, perhaps, currently worthy of her, but she has done me the honour of accepting me and I shall strive every day to improve myself so that she never comes to regret her choice. I have only my love and devotion to give her, but she has judged this as enough and I hope that you shall too.' He gained passion as he spoke, jutting his chin out in defiance at the end as if daring Mr Bennet to tell him this still wasn't enough.

Meanwhile, Darcy followed the housekeeper to the parlour where Mrs Bennet and her three daughters who were currently at Longbourn sat waiting.

'Why, Mr Darcy!' Cried Mrs Bennet as he entered the room. 'How wonderful it is to see you again sir. I have always said that it is the hardest of things to be parted from one's friends and not know when another meeting will come about.'

Darcy was somewhat perturbed by the marked difference in her attitude towards him. When they last met he had been her least favourite person and he cringed internally at the thought of the things his cousin must have said to change her opinion of him so much.

'Quite so, madam.' He ventured in response, hoping that his usual serious demeanour would calm her raptures, but unfortunately for him, Mrs Phillips had informed her sister of the Colonel's assurances that Darcy had delighted in Hertfordshire company and they now believed that his silence was merely a sign of being content. Obviously, he was a man of few words. In fact, such stately comportment must be a sign of the finest of breeding.

'My two eldest daughters are not at Longbourn at present as you see sir.' Mrs Bennet told him, hoping that this would garner some reaction.

She had warmly received her sister's theory that this gentleman may also be partial to her precious Jane. Indeed, had he not once claimed her to be the only handsome girl in the room? What a catch he would be at ten thousand a year. It was such bad luck that he would just happen to call when she was staying in town, but at least Mrs Bennet would be able to give him her direction. It was likely that driven half-mad by love, he had ridden here today purely for the purpose of seeing her. In all of her anticipation, Mrs Bennet forgot that Colonel Fitzwilliam had informed them of the dinner party scheduled for Tuesday night, meaning that Darcy knew exactly where Miss Bennet was.

'Indeed madam.' Darcy replied, unaware of all that was taking place in Mrs Bennet's head. Seeing that he must say more, he continued. 'I had the pleasure of encountering Miss Elizabeth in Kent for several weeks and was in the company of Miss Bennet in town just last night. I can assure you that they are both in excellent health.'

'Oh yes, I had quite forgotten that you were to be dining with my brother's family.' Mrs Bennet recalled, cogs ticking in her brain. If they had dined only the night before and Darcy had rushed here this morning then perhaps he had already requested Jane's hand and was here to seek permission. 'And how did you find the Gardiners, sir?'

'Very well, madam.' He said, getting into more familiar territory. He had liked the Gardiners and was willing to speak of them a little. 'Mrs Gardiner originates from a village in Derbyshire which is close to my estate. We spoke much of our childhoods there. Mr Gardiner indicated that they intended to tour the lakes this summer and there was some idea that they might visit us at Pemberley on the journey northwards. He is a keen angler and we thought to spend some time at the trout stream.'

Mrs Bennet listened to this more intently than she had ever listened before in her life. Mr Darcy had obviously been impressed by the Gardiners which was a good sign. It had worried her that he would be put off by their relations in trade, but this obviously was not the case. What an honour to be invited to his fine country estate!

She also picked up the fact that he had said 'visit us' and wondered whether this could mask a deeper meaning. Could this suggest that he thought he would be married to their niece by that time? She would be hurried off her feet with wedding preparations if that was the case, for it was barely two months until the Gardiners intended to leave.

'What is your purpose in visiting Hertfordshire today Mr Darcy?' Mrs Bennet asked at length, desperate to have her theory confirmed. Surely the gentleman would wish for an audience with Mr Bennet as soon as possible rather than continuing with idle chatter.

'I accompany my friend, Bingley. He has some business with Mr Bennet and is with him even as we speak.' Darcy responded.

Mrs Bennet's expression grew hard. Surely her foolish daughter had not accepted an engagement with Mr Bingley when she could catch Mr Darcy? No, there must be some other business. She would not see her dreams of ten thousand a year fade away so quickly. Darcy, on the other hand, was impressed by Mrs Bennet's cold reaction. Oblivious as he was to her mercenary train of thought, he actually grew some respect for the lady as he believed that she was angry at Bingley for the pain he had brought her daughter. Perhaps money was not her sole focus after all.

'What possible business could Mr Bingley have here?' Mrs Bennet asked icily.

'I believe he was carrying letters from Mr Gardiner and Miss Bennet intended for Mr Bennet, madam.' Darcy answered, unwilling to give away his friend's true purpose before he could make the announcement himself but aware that it was rather obvious all the same. Mrs Bennet took the implied meaning of this. Although he had only mentioned letters, the fact that Mr Bingley was chosen for the delivery spoke volumes.

'I see.' She said distractedly. She was determined now to have Darcy as a son in law. He had obviously done the gentlemanly thing and allowed his friend to pursue Jane, sacrificing his own wishes in the process. There was always the possibility that she could attempt to break the arrangement between Jane and Bingley, but that could be messy and one daughter married to a man of five thousand a year was still a good result. Besides, she was certain that if he had fallen in love with Jane then his attraction could easily transfer onto another of her daughters, even if they were slightly less beautiful.

Elizabeth would not do, Mr Darcy had made it clear that he found her only tolerable and she was far too impertinent. With this in mind, she eyed her remaining three daughters. Mary was the most pious and accomplished, which he might admire, but she felt sure that such a man would not settle for a plain wife.

This left Kitty and Lydia. Lydia was her favourite and certainly knew how to use her assets to encourage a gentleman, but her lively ways were surely too much for such a reserved man. In any case, with two sisters so well married she might be able to catch a man with a title when she was a little older.

Kitty would do far better for this task. She was slender with blonde hair and blue eyes which made her resemble Jane a little more, although her figure had not yet developed to become quite so womanly. The similarity would aid in transferring Mr Darcy's affections to her. She was also meeker and more eager to please which Mrs Bennet was certain Mr Darcy would approve of. Added to this, her sewing and drawing skills were passable and she even had a respectable singing voice when she put her mind to it.

'Kitty, do come over here and show Mr Darcy your needlework.' Mrs Bennet demanded of her second from youngest daughter. Kitty looked startled at being singled out by her mother. She had rarely been the object of either of her parents' attention as they each had their favourites and gave her little mind.

'Well come on, girl.' Her mother urged when she made no move to stand up. Realising that it was not just her imagination and her mother really did want her, she got up and walked over hesitantly. No matter what the rumours said about how much good Mr Darcy had done for their community she was still nervous in the face of the taciturn gentleman who had always seemed so stern and critical.

Kitty presented her embroidery which featured a small flowered design and a chaffinch with a wide-eyed innocence which reminded Darcy of Georgiana. Apparently, the effect of Elizabeth's disapproval was not wearing off, as he seemed to be seeing something new in every old acquaintance he met. Before he had thought this young Bennet girl a mindless fool but now, as had happened with Maria Lucas, he was comparing her to his own sister. After all, everyone can make mistakes and everyone has moments of weakness. Bearing this in mind, he leaned forward to admire the design more closely.

'It is fine work, Miss Catherine. I like the design very well.' He told her gently.

'Thank you, sir. I took it from a sketch I made last summer.' She blushed and mumbled shyly. Mrs Bennet took this exchange as a good beginning, noting the fact that he favoured her full name, Catherine, over Kitty. Perhaps it was time that her childhood nickname was left behind.

Both Darcy and Kitty were thankfully saved from the furthering of Mrs Bennet's schemes by the entry of Mr Bennet and Mr Bingley.

'Mr Bingley, a pleasure, I am sure.' Mrs Bennet said somewhat unwillingly as awkward bows and curtseys were exchanged.

Darcy glanced at his friend and saw that he was rather shaken by whatever had transpired between him and Mr Bennet. Hopefully, their differences had been resolved successfully. He would expect a full recount of the experience from his friend later. Absently he wondered whether he would be given such a hard time when he approached to ask for Miss Elizabeth's hand. _If_ he approached to ask for Miss Elizabeth's hand, he reminded himself sternly. He still had to change the lady's opinion of him completely and successfully secure her agreement before such a step could be taken. For a moment he considered all of the ways that he could force her into a marriage with him, but he dismissed these thoughts as quickly as they had come. He wanted her love, not an unhappy union.

'Is that the only greeting you wish to give your future son in law, Madam?' Mr Bennet announced in his usual abrupt manner. He was unaware of his wife's hopes and felt sure she would be delighted to hear that the match which she had so wished for over the last few months was coming to pass. While she was not quite as elated as she would have been to hear this news before Bingley had returned to London, she managed to rally her spirits tolerably knowing that it was rather expected and in any case, she had already formulated a new plan for capturing Mr Darcy.

* * *

 **Up next, Darcy gets the fun task of telling Mr Bennet about Lydia's letters... I might not have wifi next weekend so I will try to put the next chapter up on Friday instead. Thanks for reading! :)**

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hello!**

 **I'm afraid this chapter is a bit rough. I am going to be away with no computer or wifi for the next few days so there was no way I could do any more to it without uploading it very late. I will definitely be cleaning it up when I get back but there shouldn't be any major changes so I thought it was still worth putting up. I am toying with the idea of actually writing Lydia's letters out. I can't decide if it is better to just allude to them or actually show what she said, so please let me know if you would like to read them. I will let you know at the beginning of the next chapter if I add them in this one later.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Words of congratulations were shared and a light meal offered to the guests while arrangements for the weeks to come were made. Mrs Bennet wrote in detail to Jane about all of the shopping which she must do for her trousseau while in town and then wrote again to Mrs Gardiner in case her instructions had not been clear enough the first time. Mr Bennet withdrew to his study again and there wrote to Mr Gardiner to thank him for his service and request that Jane was given any assistance she could need. He also wrote to his daughter to explain the sum which was available for her to spend on her preparations and to remind her to ignore any of her mother's advice which was not agreeable.

While the Bennet ladies were distracted by their jubilations Darcy gave a nod to his friend and slipped away to speak to Mr Bennet. He and Bingley had agreed earlier that Darcy would be the one to take on the task of informing the gentleman of Lydia Bennet's situation, although he hardly knew how to approach such a conversation. He only hoped that Mr Bennet would believe him and take this seriously rather than brushing it away in his flippant manner. Steeling his nerves, Darcy raised a hand and knocked on the door.

'Enter.' Bennet called from within. Darcy did so promptly, offering his host a polite nod.

'Good day, sir.' He greeted.

'Ah, Mr Darcy. Are you here for a specific purpose or merely to escape my wife?' Mr Bennet replied, chuckling at his own wit.

'I'm afraid that what I have to tell you is of a serious nature, sir.' Darcy informed him.

'I see.' Bennet answered, his face straightening, although a twinkle in his eyes betrayed the fact that he did not take Darcy seriously at all. 'Continue.'

'You may have heard of my cousin's … dealings with Mr Wickham?' Darcy prompted.

'Yes, I did.' Mr Bennet confirmed.

'Then I expect you heard that he was rather an adept seducer. He delighted in preying on vulnerable young ladies and often used the threat if ruin later for blackmail.'

'Indeed. How lucky we are, Mr Darcy, that you saved us from such a scoundrel.' Mr Bennet intoned sarcastically. Darcy felt a rush of anger that this gentleman was so unwilling to even make the slightest effort to protect his own daughters.

'These were discovered in Wickham's possession.' He said bluntly, dropping Lydia Bennet's letters on the desk. He had little patience to deal with Mr Bennet's antics and knew this solid proof might be the only way to get the older gentleman's attention. Mr Bennet waited for a moment as though taunting him before reaching over to take the letters.

'Has Bingley seen these?' Mr Bennet finally asked after several minutes had passed. Darcy started, somewhat surprised that this was the gentleman's first question. He had expected some backlash, disbelief, perhaps even accusations of fraud, but instead there was just a kind of weary acceptance written on the older man's face.

'Yes, sir.' Darcy replied. 'And my cousin, but to my knowledge we are the only ones and you may be assured of our discretion.'

'And he still wished to marry my daughter. It appears I was wrong to fault his constancy. To think, I challenged whether he was worthy to protect my daughter and all the time he knew of this proof that I have failed my daughters entirely. What a fool he must have thought me. I am sure he will laugh excessively when he thinks of it.'

'You do not give him enough credit, sir. He has been tasked with the care of his sister since his father passed away and knows full well how hard it can be. His personality is perhaps not best suited to dealing with those of forceful character, but he is learning, as we all do. He would certainly not mock you for making the same mistake that he himself has made and that I have made before too.' Darcy said. Though he was angry with Mr Bennet for making so little effort on his family's behalf, he could hardly blame the man for what Wickham had done with Lydia Bennet when he had allowed Georgiana to be put in the same position.

'You are too kind to me, I am sure, but I will take your reassurances. The truth is that I have not been a good father. The truth is that I do not know how to be. How my two eldest daughters have turned out so well with such parents is a mystery. However, perhaps with a little more direction it is not too late for the others. Perhaps it is not too late for Lydia.'

'I am sure it is not, sir.' Darcy replied awkwardly. Lydia Bennet had shown no evidence of being able to change or improve herself in the time that he had known her, but he certainly did not want to discourage Mr Bennet when it seemed he might finally be prepared to take some action. He gave a final bow and left Mr Bennet to his quiet contemplation, hoping that the gentleman's eyes had been opened to the risks of allowing his daughters to display such impropriety as they did.

This being concluded the gentlemen soon rose to take their leave, as if they wished to reach town again by nightfall then they would have to be quick. As soon as they left the estate Bingley recounted his full meeting with Mr Bennet to Darcy and told him of Mr Gardiner's warnings from the night before. He left out none of the accusations that had been levelled at him.

'Well, at least you may say that your bride's family have not taken her engagement lightly.' Darcy said, clapping his friend on the back. 'Such conversations are character building; the experience will help you to be a better man in the future.'

'I think I would not have minded being a lesser man if it could have spared the stress to my poor heart.' Bingley replied faintly, pressing a hand to his chest where his heart was still palpitating over an hour after his audience with Mr Bennet had ended. Darcy only laughed at his friend's dramatics.

They were some way further into their return journey when Bingley turned to Darcy again, a contemplative look on his face.

'You know, I really do think that Mr Bennet would have turned me away if he did not believe that I loved Jane, even though my fortune would ensure the safety of his family.'

'I do not doubt it.' Darcy admitted after observing his friend for a moment. 'I confess that when I was in Kent I learnt something that rather shocked me. Before Mr Collins made an offer to Miss Lucas, he proposed to Miss Elizabeth Bennet. She refused him and her father supported her decision though Collins will one day inherit Longbourn. It seems that Mr Bennet is not inclined to place wealth over worth, at least not in those he trusts with his daughters.'

'Indeed?' Bingley considered this. 'Then I am glad not to have been found wanting.'

The gentlemen rode quickly on their way back to town, eager as both were to release some tension with the intense exercise and reach their respective homes. Because of this Bingley reached the Hurst's town residence rather earlier than he had expected, towards the end of the afternoon. By chance as he entered he met Louisa in the hall as she was on her way to dress for dinner.

'Good afternoon, Charles. Was your trip a success?' She inquired.

'Yes, it was indeed. Mr Bennet gave me a rather stern talking to and put me well in my place, but eventually he granted his consent.'

'Surely he would never have refused such an advantageous match?' Louisa asked, surprised that there had been any uncertainty involved in gaining permission where they were so obviously financially superior to the Bennets.

'I believe he would have done if I had not already had Ja-Miss Bennet's agreement. I did hear that he had already turned down at least one man who could have offered the Bennets' financial security because he did not believe that his daughter would be happy.' At this Louisa looked even more flabbergasted.

'He wishes that they only marry for happiness?' Such an idea was somewhat foreign in the ton; marriage was a business transaction that should bring fortune and connections. 'That - that actually sounds rather wonderful.' She would not have thought so when she was younger, but now she wished that her own father had also advised her against marrying too hastily and for the wrong reasons. Bingley saw these emotions written on her face and wished that he had been old enough when his sister married that he was able to ensure her happiness too.

'Louisa, what you said about regretting your marriage, I would not have you live with that. There are things we could do...'

'Thank you, Charles, but that is not necessary. I believe things shall improve. How could I have expected Mr Hurst to be a good husband when I have not been a good wife? I am learning to be a better woman and I hope soon you shall have cause to be proud to call me sister. You are to marry and have a wonderful new family. It is time for us to make our own way in the world, for better or for worse.' They parted after this and each pretended that the conversation had never happened when they met again for dinner along with Caroline and Mr Hurst.

At the end of the meal, Bingley stood and officially announced his engagement. Louisa revealed that she had already invited Miss Bennet to take tea with them the next day which gratified him. Caroline was perceptive enough to offer congratulations and keep her disappointment to herself, although she was very disappointed indeed. Charles could have used his marriage to increase their family's standing and offer her better chances in society, but instead, he threw it away on this country nobody. And what a betrayal by her Louisa to invite the chit to visit with them! Meanwhile, Bingley was grateful that Caroline had made an effort to support him but still couldn't help feeling the reluctance in her and wishing that her felicitations could be as warm and genuine as those of everyone else he had met.

* * *

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	20. Chapter 20

**Hello!**

 **Back to Hunsford to check in with Lizzy for this chapter. She will make it to London soon now, I promise.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Life continued much in the same manner at Hunsford for several days following Jane's letter. Mr Collins did very little but talked very much. Consequently, Mrs Collins had much to do so could talk to her friend very little. Lizzy, therefore, eagerly awaited her sister's next correspondence to break the dull routine she had fallen into. She knew that she would receive a detailed letter after the dinner party on Tuesday evening and greatly anticipated what news it might contain.

She was disappointed, though not surprised, to have received no word from her mother and younger sisters since their initial inquiries on Hunsford and Rosings, although she had dedicatedly sent them a letter each fortnight anyway. From her father, she heard only briefly to urge her to return home as soon as she may. It comforted her to be reminded that he missed her company and she was grateful that he had done even this as he disliked writing in general. She knew that in the several months that Jane had been away she had heard from their father not at all as he preferred to send messages through his wife or daughters, although Mrs Bennet certainly wrote to Jane far more often than she wrote to Lizzy, her least favourite. Thankfully Thursday morning came and with it, at last, Jane's letter.

 _Dearest Lizzy,  
_ _I know that you will only recently have received my last letter as I am writing this and must have far more interesting things to entertain you at Hunsford than my ramblings, but something has come to pass which I cannot delay telling you. Mr Bingley has proposed and I have accepted him!_

 _We had finished dining and were gathered in the parlour when he asked me. I was so engrossed in our conversation that I had barely noticed that we had separated a little from the main party, although now I realise Mr Bingley must have enlisted help from the Darcy's and the Colonel to allow us a little privacy. Oh, I am happier than I knew it was possible to be! I confess that in my excitement as I am writing this it is still Tuesday night but I cannot wait to share my news. I will send this directly in the morning so that it may reach you as soon as possible._

 _Mr Bingley plans to ride to Longbourn tomorrow so that he may request permission and Uncle Gardiner and I have written letters to Papa that Mr Bingley may carry with him to explain events. I have not yet had the chance to even write telling Mama that I have met Mr Bingley again, so what a shock it will come as! I only hope it will be as welcome at home as it has been here._

 _I expect that I will remain in Gracechurch Street a little longer than was previously planned to shop for my wedding clothes and hope that this will be agreeable to you. I hardly know what I will need, but Aunt Gardiner has promised to guide me and I am sure that Mama will send extensive instructions. There is so much more that I wish to speak to you of but I know that a letter is not the place._

 _Do pass on my congratulations to Charlotte! In my excitement I had almost forgotten her happy news. I am sorry that I have no personal letter for her to include, but I will certainly send one soon. Assure her that I eagerly anticipate seeing her again and hope that she will be able to make the journey home for my wedding, though I understand perfectly if she cannot now that she is expecting a child._

 _I am quite exhausted now so I will write no more except to say that I long for your company and can hardly wait for you to join me here. With all my wishes that this finds you in good health,  
Jane_

Beaming, Lizzy immediately rushed to share the good news with Charlotte. As she had expected, her friend was equally overjoyed by Jane's good fortune and already began to plan her return to Hertfordshire for the wedding.

'Do you think they will choose to have a long or short engagement?' Lizzy wondered when they had calmed their excitement a little.

'Short, undoubtedly. They have been parted for several months already and shall hardly wish to wait even longer.' Charlotte replied, and then her expression grew teasing. 'You shall hardly be able to avoid Mr Darcy's company now Eliza. You know what they say, one wedding often begets another.' Lizzy blushed a deep scarlet at this.

'I do wish you would not continue to say such things. You are making me quite paranoid. What if someone was to overhear and believe there really was something other than mutual dislike between Mr Darcy and me?' Charlotte shook her head at this but did not try to fight a point which she knew she would not win. When Mr Darcy paid Elizabeth his addresses then she would have her chance to remind her friend that she had always known it to be so.

'I suppose you shall wish to journey to London as soon as possible to assist Jane?' Charlotte asked. Lizzy looked a little guilty.

'I would not wish to leave you any earlier than planned.' She replied, unable to meet her friend's eyes.

'Do not worry for me, Lizzy. I insist that you must go at once to your sister's aid. Besides, you must spend the time that you have remaining before her marriage in Jane's company. Anything less would be quite unthinkable.'

'Thank you, Charlotte.' Lizzy squeezed her friend's hand gratefully.

Charlotte, unable to abide seeing her witty friend made serious, could not resist adding: 'And Mr Darcy will be in London!'

Following this, the two friends spoke a little more of Lizzy leaving Hunsford and it was decided that she would depart two days hence. Maria would not travel with her and would consider extending her stay as Lady Catherine had requested since she would not also have to consider Elizabeth's wish to return home. When this had been decided Lizzy wrote hurriedly to her Aunt so that she might be expected at Gracechurch Street, including her congratulations to Jane in this, and quickly sent the letter so that it might reach London before she did.

Mr Collins was horrified to hear of this plan as his foolish cousin would surely anger Lady Catherine with her swift departure, but he was placated by the news of Jane's good match. Surely having such wealth in the family could only benefit him and, as he was sure to tell the whole party at dinner, Bingley's background in trade meant that Jane was not reaching above her station. It was certainly a match that Lady Catherine would approve of.

Elizabeth did her best to nod politely along with her ridiculous cousin and held her tongue when she was tempted to become impertinent, knowing that it could only bring pain to her dear friend. Maria, at least, was sincerely pleased to hear that Jane and Mr Bingley had reached an agreement as she had found their blossoming relationship the height of romance and been almost as heartbroken as Jane when he left.

* * *

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	21. Chapter 21

**Hi!**

 **Thanks for all the continuing support for this story. I'm glad so many people seem to be liking it. In this chapter, we have a bit more of the Bingley sisters, with Louisa finally deciding to be her own person.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

On Wednesday morning Jane had been pleased to receive an invitation to tea from Mrs Hurst, correctly seeing this as an offer of friendship from the sister of her betrothed, and accordingly, on Thursday she proceeded to the house on Grosvenor street with her Aunt. She attempted to push the unpleasantness of her last visit to this house out of her mind and focus on the present, thinking with excitement that Mr Bingley himself was likely to be there. He had sent a brief note the night before to inform the Gardiners that Mr Bennet's permission had been granted and the letters written to them by the Bennets had also been passed on, but it had been too late for him to actually call.

Jane smiled to remember the contradictory instructions which she had received in the letters from each of her parents. Her mother had effusively ordered that no expense should be spared on anything - only the best for her most beautiful daughter! In contrast, her father had detailed the exact amount of money available for her to spend and assured her that she could ignore any of her mother's instructions which were not practical. While her mother had also written to Aunt Gardiner to repeat all of her instructions, her father had written to her uncle to ensure that she would receive all the help she required and that her own wishes for her wedding would not be overlooked in favour of her mother's.

When Jane and Mrs Gardiner reached Grosvenor Square and were shown into the house they found that Mr Bingley was indeed present and was also eagerly anticipating the presence of his beloved. One day apart had seemed like years to the gentleman in question now that Miss Bennet had agreed to make him the happiest of men, and when he saw her face again he felt like a starving man sitting down to a banquet.

'Miss Bennet, Mrs Gardiner!' He cried before his sister had a chance to welcome them, striding over to kiss Jane's hand and bow to her Aunt. 'How glad I am that you are here today. I hope you are both well?' Louisa could only smile fondly at her brother's enthusiasm. Although she was not a woman of great understanding, she did wish for her brother's happiness and also knew that she would gain nothing from being at odds with his fiancé.

'Yes, sir, we are both very well, and yourself?' Mrs Gardiner replied as Bingley and Jane gazed lovingly at each other.

'Yes, I have never been better!' The gentleman announced, still entranced by the sight of his angel. At this point, Louisa thought that she had better join in before the couple forgot her presence entirely and neglected to introduce her to Mrs Gardiner.

'Miss Bennet, how wonderful it is to see you again, it has been too long since we last met. I hope you will feel very welcome here and visit us very often during your engagement. I have never seen my brother as happy as he is in your company and know that your marriage shall be one of great joy. Would you introduce me to your companion?' Jane was gratified by this warm reception and turned immediately to make the introduction, flushing with embarrassment to have been so caught up in Mr Bingley as to almost forget the demands of propriety.

'Of course, Mrs Hurst, this is my Aunt, Madeline Gardiner. Aunt, Mrs Louisa Hurst.' Curtseys were exchanged.

'I think you have met my sister?' Louisa asked carefully, gesturing to Miss Bingley who had positioned herself in a far corner of the room. She was well aware of her sister's poor treatment of the Gardiners and was embarrassed that she could be seen as an accomplice since she had done nothing to prevent it. Though it might not always seem like it, they had both received a proper lady's education and knew how to behave in polite society. Caroline merely ignored this in favour of her petty ways.

Her sister's comment forced Caroline to approach and curtsey, but it was done with an obvious reluctance which could only be designed to insult their guests. She paid no complements to them or well wishes for the engagement with her brother, only offering a curt greeting. Mrs Gardiner had been prepared for this and ignored the affront while Jane glossed over it, determined to think no ill of her future sister.

The greetings having been exchanged, the party sat down and Mrs Hurst rang for tea. Mr Hurst was not present, but Louisa assured them that he sent his warmest wishes for Miss Bennet's nuptials. She did not feel it appropriate to tell them that he was locked in the study drinking to try to become oblivious to his toxic sister-in-law's acerbic tongue. Now was not the time to mention to her brother's future wife that Caroline would probably ruin her marriage.

Polite conversation was made, with Louisa attempting to be as clear as possible that she would welcome Jane Bennet as a sister and wished for them to get along. She also happened to drop into conversation that she and Mr Hurst would now be permanently residing in their own house so that the new Mrs Bingley would be able to learn how to run her estate with no competition.

Miss Bingley added little to the conversation at first, only speaking if she could think of a caustic remark. After a while, she grew bored with this and began to think of how she might profit from her brother's marriage. She was determined to gain something from this dreadful business.

'You shall, of course, wish to purchase your own house in town after your marriage.' Caroline pressed her brother and soon to be sister, eagerly anticipating that she would have their townhouse to herself while they spent most of the year residing in the country.

'Perhaps,' Charles answered, 'but we shall first have to establish whether we wish to continue to reside at Netherfield or look to purchase elsewhere. I think it may be some years before we have time to think of a townhouse.'

'We shall always be pleased to accommodate you here brother.' Louisa assured him. 'You need not take on the extra expense of another house yet.' As she said this she attempted to give Caroline a warning glare, but her sister was oblivious. Perceptive as ever, Mrs Gardiner quickly cottoned on to Miss Bingley's scheme and backed Mrs Hurst up.

'Yes, and you will always be welcome with us in Gracechurch Street when the Hurst's are not in town.' She reminded the couple, placing particular emphasis on the fact that they were not in the fashionable part of town to rile Miss Bingley up.

Caroline was fuming at having her attempts to benefit herself so thoroughly undermined. Her conduct grew more and more hostile as the visit continued until finally, Bingley would take her snide comments to his betrothed no longer.

'Do forgive me, Mrs Gardiner, Miss Bennet, my sister is not feeling quite herself.' He said stiffly, taking Miss Bingley by the arm and marching her from the room. She was too shocked to react until they were halfway up the stairs, at which point she was finally able to look at her brother in horror.

'What on earth are you doing Charles?' She asked, trying to wrest her arm from his grip. He kept his hold on her firmly and did not stop moving.

'I warned you before that if your behaviour continued I would be forced to take action, Caroline.' He told her grimly. 'I do feel partly responsible for this as I have let you go unpunished for far too long, but it cannot continue now that I am taking a wife. I will not have her made unwelcome in her own home. I intend to write to our Aunt in Huddersfield and request that she allows you to stay with her for a month. You know that she is widowed and will be glad of the company, but she will not take any nonsense from you either. If you behave well then I will allow you to return to attend my wedding.'

'Huddersfield?' Caroline snorted in disgust. She could not imagine anywhere less fashionable. What would her friends think? What would Mr Darcy think? No, it could not happen. 'Do not be ridiculous, I will not go! You cannot make me!' Once again he ignored her protests and pulled her through the door to her room.

'I am your brother, Caroline. You are my responsibility and I say that you will not remain in this house, which means that you will not! There is no point in trying to defy me. I will see that your meals are brought to your room until arrangements have been made.' Not giving her a chance to speak further, he turned and left. After pausing to think for a moment he locked the door for good measure. From the other side, he heard Caroline try the handle and then let out an awful wail, but he brushed aside his guilt and tried to remain focused. He would not let his sister be an obstacle to his happiness anymore.

With this in mind, he informed the housekeeper that Miss Bingley was not to be let out under any circumstances. She was relieved that the atrocious woman was finally being dealt with and happily followed orders, spreading it around to all staff. It is said that the cheer that went up when this was found out was loud enough to be heard in the next house along, but no one knows if this is true or just an exaggeration.

Mr Bingley took a few deep breaths to calm himself, feeling proud that he had finally stood up to Caroline and taken action. He felt a weight lift off his shoulders knowing that he was staying true to his word to Mr Bennet and Mr Gardiner that he would protect Jane's best interests if they allowed him to marry her. Re-entering the parlour he fixed a glowing smile in place and bowed to the ladies.

'I am sorry about that.' He told his guests graciously. 'My sister is to spend some time with our widowed Aunt in the north and has some preparations to make for her journey.'

Mrs Gardiner and Mrs Hurst understood his meaning immediately and each woman privately thought such a punishment was well deserved due to Caroline's unladylike behaviour. Jane, innocent as ever, thought it very kind of Miss Bingley to think that her lonely Aunt may wish for some company and was sorry to have ever thought harshly of her. In her mind, she quickly explained away the woman's hostility as awkwardness and stress in anticipation of her long journey northwards.

With Miss Bingley removed the remainder of the visit went far more smoothly. Jane and Louisa soon agreed that they should use each other's first names if they were to be sisters and it seemed that they would be able to get along quite easily. Mrs Gardiner was pleased that at least one of Mr Bingley's relations was prepared to support her niece and hoped that this would assist Jane in entering into the ton. When they returned to Gracechurch Street she was quick to inform her husband of Miss Bingley's fate and he was glad to hear that the young man was taking his advice.

Back at the house in Grosvenor Square, peace finally reigned. The servants were no longer afraid to do their duty since Miss Bingley was not allowed to leave her room and so could not torment them. That is to say, all except her poor lady's maid who still had to wait on her. After Mr Bingley received word that his sister had been throwing things at the poor girl he declared that Caroline would have no maid to assist her until she left and her meals would be taken to her by a housemaid accompanied by a footman for protection.

Taking pity on the girl who had served Miss Bingley for such a long time in spite of the poor treatment she received, he persuaded his sister to keep her on as a housemaid until his wedding when he would offer her as a candidate to act as the maid for his wife. This settled, Bingley sat down to write a long letter to his Aunt in Huddersfield, explaining all of Caroline's recent behaviour and begging her to take her in. Remembering Darcy's comments on his writing skills, he was sure to rewrite the letter after he had made the first draft so that it would actually be legible.

Miss Bingley attempted to appeal to her sister to intercede on her behalf, begging that she be allowed to remain with the Hursts for after all this was their house and not her brother's. For the first time in years, Mrs Hurst stood up to her sister, informing her that her presence was not desirable to any member of the household and flatly refusing to be of aid.

Once his harpy of a sister-in-law was out of the way, the master of the house also felt less inclined to closet himself in a locked room with a bottle of brandy. That evening as they retired his wife informed him that her sister would be leaving for Huddersfield and was not to return to their house unless she reformed her behaviour. Glad that his wife finally seemed to be free of her sister's poisonous influence, the couple made love for the first time in far too long, rediscovering the passion of their early marriage.

* * *

 **Next up, Lizzy finally gets to London! :)**

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	22. Chapter 22

**Hi!**

 **Thanks as always for supporting this story. In this chapter, Lizzy finally arrives in London to help with wedding preparations.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

As the week continued Jane began to shop for her trousseau as per her mother's instructions. With the help of Mrs Hurst and Mrs Gardiner shops that were at the less expensive end of the spectrum but still fashionable were sought out and a growing list of items was successfully ordered. Much to her sister's joy, Lizzy arrived at Gracechurch Street on Saturday evening where she was welcomed enthusiastically by her family. This reignited all of Jane's early excitement over her engagement and she threw herself into her sister's arms. Lizzy laughed to see this uncharacteristic burst of energy from her sedate older sister and any doubts which she still harboured over Bingley's suitability were washed away.

'Oh Lizzy, I am the happiest of creatures. I do not think anyone could deserve to be so happy!' Jane exclaimed to her when they had retreated indoors and all of the Gardiner's had been greeted.

'You could, dearest Jane. You deserve every happiness imaginable.' Lizzy assured her, relieved to be back in her sweet sister's company.

Their conversation continued much in this manner, with details of every meeting that had taken place which could not be fitted into a letter finally shared. Jane had conveniently forgotten all of the snide remarks that Miss Bingley had made, merely saying that she had seemed a little out of sorts, and Lizzy made a mental note to petition Aunt Gardiner for an account of these later.

Once Jane had finally exhausted her supply of Mr Bingley's fine qualities, the virtues of Miss Darcy were extolled and Lizzy found herself increasingly eager to meet this sweet, shy young lady. How would she compare to her brother and aunt?

Remembering her acquaintances from Kent, Lizzy then inquired as to how her sister had found Colonel Fitzwilliam. Jane replied that he had been quieter than she expected from Lizzy's accounts and she thought he may have been a little out of sorts, but she confessed that she had been so absorbed in Mr Bingley and Miss Darcy that evening that she scarcely would have noticed had he sprouted a second head. Of Mr Darcy she spoke only a little, knowing of her sister's previous dislike of the man, but she did mention that he seemed very different to the man they had known in Hertfordshire and petitioned her sister that she might not be too harsh on him.

'After all Lizzy, it is by his doing that Mr Bingley and I were brought back together you know, and his sister is so sweet that I can barely believe he is a bad man.'

'Well perhaps - but only perhaps mind you! - I may have judged him too hastily.' Lizzy admitted. She was not prepared to confide Charlotte's full suspicions with her sister yet but she did give a detailed account of Charlotte's opinion on Mr Wickham. 'So you see, dearest, that your hot-headed sister has made a fool of herself as always.'

'You have not been a fool Lizzy, I am sure there is a simple explanation that will show that neither Mr Darcy nor Mr Wickham is so very bad.' Jane protested sweetly and Lizzy agreed for her sake although in truth she was certain that one of them must have done something very wrong and she was no longer inclined to believe that it was Mr Darcy.

Their conversation was soon after interrupted by the arrival of dinner time and after this Jane's attention was monopolised by her young cousins. Sensing her chance, Mrs Gardiner pulled Lizzy to the side so that she may have her share of conversation with her favourite niece.

'So Lizzy, what is your opinion of this business of Jane's now?' She inquired, eager to have Lizzy's take on it since she had been present when Jane and Mr Bingley first met in Hertfordshire.

'I hardly know, Aunt.' She confessed. 'Jane is so happy; it almost seems too good to be true. At first, I was worried that it was all too hasty and she could not have proper assurance of Mr Bingley's consistency after the past months, but now... Well, what is your opinion?'

'He does appear to be committed.' Mrs Gardiner assured her. 'Did Jane tell you what happened with Miss Bingley?' When Elizabeth shook her head Mrs Gardiner related the tale.

'So she is to be exiled to Huddersfield?' Lizzy checked that she had understood correctly.

'Yes, or at least that is what I inferred from the whole thing. Mrs Hurst has been quite the opposite of her sister, showing us every kindness and giving her full support to the union, so I do believe that Jane's best interests will be looked after. But I wish to broach a new topic now Lizzy, that of Mr Darcy.' Her aunt prodded gently.

'What do you wish to know?' Lizzy asked, failing to meet her eyes.

'You were quite adamant in your dislike of him, and yet he has been perfectly amiable towards us. I am curious as to how he behaved when you met him in Kent.' To Mrs Gardiner's surprise, Lizzy blushed.

'I confess, Aunt, that my opinion of the gentleman was changed a little, not so much by his conduct which, though polite, remained distant, but by some hard truths about my own character which Charlotte related to me. I was rather too hasty in slandering Mr Darcy because he had insulted me and I let that prejudice me against him. The flaws Charlotte pointed out to me in Mr Wickham's conduct and tales of woe showed me this. I am resolved to wipe the slate clean and begin my acquaintance with Mr Darcy afresh.'

'I see. Then let me help you to begin by telling you of _my_ impression of the gentleman. Though he is a little reserved, he speaks well on a wide range of topics. His estate in Derbyshire is very close to Lambton where I spent part of my youth and we spoke fondly of the area.

'With Mr Gardiner, he discussed the state of business eloquently and showed no concern at conversing with us lowly trades-people. He even suggested that we might be welcome to stay at his estate for some time in the summer when we travel north to tour the lake country. So you see that none of his conduct towards us seems to indicate any improper pride.' Elizabeth listened to her aunt in wonder. How was it that a gentleman who in her company had been stern at best was positively agreeable to her relations whom she had expected to be beneath his notice?

'I am all amazement, Aunt. I cannot explain this change of behaviour at all!'

'Can you not?' Mrs Gardiner looked at her searchingly for a moment longer, wondering if Mr Darcy could possibly... But no, it was not worth thinking on. With this she happily moved on to describing the progress of the wedding shopping, entertaining her niece when she procured Mrs Bennet's letter for her to read.

'Oh, Mama.' Elizabeth exclaimed in exasperation as she read, shaking her head at the ridiculous instructions. 'I do hope that you are not letting poor Jane follow this guidance, Aunt.' Mrs Gardiner assured her that she was not, telling her of the help that Mrs Hurst was providing. Elizabeth, like her aunt, was glad that one of Bingley's sisters was making an effort to welcome Jane to the family.

Sunday passed quickly with the usual religious proprieties being observed, and the young Gardiner children were soon confident enough in Elizabeth's company to speak to her almost as fondly as they did to her sister. Jane was relieved to have reached the day of rest, meaning that she did not have to go out shopping or attend any dress fittings. She took full advantage of her more willful younger sister's company to explain exactly how she wanted her wedding to be, knowing that Lizzy would see to it that her wishes were not overlooked by their mother.

On Monday morning Mr Bingley and the Darcy's were expected to call, although Mrs Hurst could not attend. Jane was overjoyed, unable to go more than a few days apart from her soon to be husband, but Elizabeth's emotions were more mixed. She was eager to meet Miss Darcy who she had heard so much about and she was also pleased to renew her acquaintance with Mr Bingley now that he had finally seen sense and returned to Jane. Mr Darcy... She had no idea how to feel about meeting with that gentleman again.

When she rose that morning there was a knot of nervous anticipation in her stomach which refused to budge. Would he be the pleasant, agreeable gentleman that he was rumoured to have been while in London? Would he be the rude, taciturn Mr Darcy she had believed him to be in Hertfordshire? Would he throw himself at her feet with declarations of everlasting love as Charlotte had claimed he would in Kent? This last eventuality seemed somewhat unlikely. _And unwanted_. She reminded herself sternly.

There was no nervous anticipation in the Darcy carriage as it rolled towards Gracechurch Street that morning. If the occupants had known that Miss Elizabeth Bennet awaited them then there probably would have been a great deal, but they did not. They were not expecting her arrival until later in the week when it had originally been planned for, so when they were shown into the now familiar drawing room at the Gardiner's residence they were completely unprepared. Mr Bingley entered first while the Mr and Miss Darcy were still handing over their coats and gloves in the hallway. He eyes immediately sought out his Miss Bennet, so it was a few moments before he noticed Miss Elizabeth's presence.

'Miss Elizabeth!' He cried when his eyes finally fell on her. 'What a pleasure to see you again, we had not expected you until later in the week!' The lady he was addressing rose and curtseyed, offering similar greetings.

'Are Mr and Miss Darcy not with you, sir?' Mrs Gardiner inquired politely.

'Yes, they are just behind me. I don't know what can be taking them so long.' Bingley answered, looking surprised to find that his friends had not entered the room yet.

Outside in the corridor, Mr Darcy attempted to steel his nerves. He had been just behind Bingley when he had heard Elizabeth's name followed by the sweet sound of her voice. His usual discomposure on facing her began to settle in again and he attempted to ward it off, feeling woefully unprepared. The same emotions that he was feeling were written all over his sister's face and he squeezed her hand gently, knowing that they could not linger for much longer. After another deep breath, he strode into the room to face her.

'There you are Darcy; we were beginning to think you had got lost!' Bingley said as he heard his friend enter.

'I believe it was you who could not wait for us to remove our coats before you hurried off.' Darcy replied drily, trying to stop himself from looking over at Elizabeth.

When he could help it no longer he let his eyes drift to her and found that she was as lovely as ever. She took his breath away. The lady in question wore a pleasant smile and did not seem to be affected at all by the sight of him. Remembering himself, Darcy introduced his sister hastily, determined to demonstrate to Miss Elizabeth that he was capable of proper manners.

The younger girl was struck dumb at the sight of the woman who she had heard so much about. How was she supposed to speak in front of a lady who was likely to marry her brother when she had not had time to prepare? Her whole future could depend on the impression she gave now! She was capable only of muttering a polite greeting before she fled to Jane's side, but Elizabeth easily forgave this when she saw how nervous the poor girl was.

This was followed by further greetings from Mr Bingley who managed to tear himself from Jane's side for long enough to inquire after her health and speak pleasantly of their acquaintances in Hertfordshire. When Mr Bingley had finished then Mr Darcy approached. Elizabeth attempted to greet him with composure and answered all of his inquiries after the Collins's, sinking into a natural pattern. Although she still felt that the manner in which he spoke was somewhat stilted, she realised that he was making an effort on her behalf so she attempted to be agreeable in return. After all, it would hardly be in Jane's best interest for her sister to be at odds with her husband's close friend.

'Is your cousin in good health, sir?' Elizabeth inquired of Mr Darcy when they had been conversing for some time, wondering why the Colonel was not present.

'My cousin?' He seemed surprised. 'Yes, I believe so, but you have been in her company more recently than I so must know better.' Elizabeth was confused at who he could be referring to for a moment but then realised he had thought she was speaking of Anne.

'Forgive me, sir; I did not make myself clear. I was speaking of Colonel Fitzwilliam.' She clarified. A look which she thought might be pain flashed through Darcy's eyes and Elizabeth was immediately alarmed. Had something dreadful happened?

'He is well enough.' Darcy said somewhat curtly. 'Why do you ask?'

'My sister thought that he may not be quite himself when they met on Tuesday.' Elizabeth replied honestly, somewhat affronted at the gentleman's tone. As quickly as it had come Darcy's anger seemed to fade away again and he merely looked tired.

'Yes, he -' He seemed to struggle with himself over whether to tell her something and eventually decided that he should. 'He may have been a little out of spirits. It has been requested that he return to his regiment.' Elizabeth still looked puzzled as to why this should affect him so, so Darcy clarified further. 'His regiment is encamped in Spain.'

'Oh, I had not realised.' She murmured, shocked. She had assumed that the Colonel, like many sons of Earls, held his office due to his family and was not actually placed in the line of fire. She felt a pang of sympathy for Darcy. It could not be easy to know that his cousin was in such danger and have to go on with business as usual. Suddenly another thought crossed her mind. 'Does Miss Darcy know?' She glanced across at the young girl who was conversing happily with Jane and Mrs Gardiner.

'No, I have not yet thought how to tell her.' He admitted honestly.

'Oh.' Was all that Elizabeth could think to say in reply. She wished that there was some comfort she could give him but she could think of none. A witty comment, which was her usual response to all situations, was hardly appropriate here. Mr Darcy lingered for a moment with the usual intense look in his eyes then bowed stiffly.

'Excuse me, madam.' He said, walking away.

Elizabeth was left more perplexed about his character after this exchange than she had been before. It had been obvious that he was making an effort to be cordial, but her mere presence seemed to render him uncomfortable. She thought back over their conversation, wondering if she had said anything that might cause offence. He had certainly been concerned on his cousin's behalf. Perhaps her inquiry as to whether Miss Darcy knew had seemed officious and this could account for the brusque nature of his escape.

Since Mr Darcy had walked over to speak with her uncle and Mr Bingley, Elizabeth joined the other ladies and tried to immerse herself in their conversation. They were currently discussing their favourite colours of dress, presumably in relation to Jane's wedding in some way, and despite her best efforts to pay attention, Elizabeth felt her eyes wander to Mr Darcy every few minutes to attempt to judge his temper. The gentleman appeared equally inattentive to his own conversation, his customary frown furrowing his brow. _He disapproves of you anyway; you should not care for his good opinion_. She tried to tell herself, but it did not seem to help.

At some point, picking up on Lizzy's unease and inattention, Miss Darcy followed her line of sight and realised that there seemed to have been another disagreement with her brother. The signs of misery which she could detect in the way he stood and the tension of his jaw made her heart pang. Why could he not show Miss Elizabeth what a wonderful man he usually was?

Noticing Miss Darcy's distress and tracing her animosity with the girl's brother as the root of it, Lizzy resolved to put the whole matter out of her mind. She forced any thoughts of Mr Darcy from her head and focused entirely on her conversation with the younger girl. Remembering that Jane had spoken of Miss Darcy's passion for music, she began to speak of her favourite composers and soon forgot her earlier worries.

When she owned that she was not a hugely proficient performer Miss Darcy tried to protest that she was sure that this could not be the case and Lizzy felt confident enough in the tentative friendship they were forming to employ her usual wit.

'Oh no Miss Darcy, I am afraid that I must claim only to be a mediocre performer, for Lady Catherine has told me so and, as I am sure you know, if she had ever learnt then she would have been a true proficient.' Lizzy declared theatrically. Georgiana's eyes went wide to hear that her aunt had said such a thing but she could not help laughing along with the rest of the group.

'She should not have said such a thing.' Miss Darcy apologised for she too had often been on the receiving end of her Aunt's ridiculous statements.

'I assure you I took no offence, for she was kind enough to offer that I could practice on the pianoforte in old Mrs Jenkinson's rooms, since I would be in nobody's way in that part of the house!'

Lizzy continued in this manner, extracting several laughs from Miss Darcy by sharing more of Lady Catherine's pearls of wisdom, and by the end of the visit she was rewarded when Miss Darcy begged that she use her given name. Elizabeth was delighted to agree and was glad that she had managed to make the visit enjoyable for one member of the Darcy family even if she was still at odds with the other.

As all of this took place, Darcy's thoughts were very different to what Elizabeth imagined them to be. When she first inquired after Colonel Fitzwilliam he reacted with jealousy, envying the fact that she cared for him. Immediately after this, he chided himself for his stupidity. She was only being polite and showing concern for his relatives. He should admire her kindness, not censure it.

Although he could hardly admit to her the real reason that the Colonel had been out of sorts, he found that he longed to tell her of his worry with his cousin returning to the continent, and in any case, he could think of nothing else to say. The sympathy which he observed in her face when he did this could only increase his love for her.

She then thought to ask if his sister knew, realising how this news would affect the young girl. His heart swelled and he had to fight the urge to beg her to marry him on the spot. Instead, he could only reply that he had not yet told Georgiana. Unable to control himself in her presence for any longer, he quickly made his excuses and walked over to converse with Mr Gardiner.

 _Damn_. He was trying so hard to improve her opinion of him and yet he only seemed to be able to give offence when he was in her company. He watched discretely as she conversed with the rest of the party. Was he imagining it, or did she keep glancing in his direction with open disgust? Georgiana seemed to sense that something had occurred between them and seeing that she was becoming distressed he kicked himself internally. He had ruined his sister's day as well.

He was wallowing in this realisation when contrary to what he had thought he heard his sister's laughter. Looking up again, he found that Elizabeth's eyes were sparkling while his sister, Miss Bennet and Mrs Gardiner gathered to listen to the tale she was telling. Entranced, he stared at her openly for several minutes, unaware that he had become completely inattentive to the conversation between Bingley and Gardiner which he had previously been part of.

As the visit drew to a close he suddenly remembered the plans they had had before he became sidetracked by Elizabeth's presence and he approached his sister to remind her. Taking his meaning she turned to Mrs Gardiner.

'My brother and I would be delighted if you could join us for dinner tomorrow, that is, if you are not otherwise engaged.' She said shyly, smiling hopefully at her new friends.

'We are not, and will accept your invitation with equal delight.' Mrs Gardiner assured her, knowing that her nieces would be amenable to an evening of good company and that Jane, in particular, would revel in every second spent with Mr Bingley who was bound to also be present.

With this concluded the visit came to an end, though not before Mr Bingley could assure Jane that his sister was still available for their next endeavour in wedding shopping the next day. Georgiana was disappointed that she could not join them, but her brother maintained that she could not miss any more of her lessons than she had already. Elizabeth felt a flash of victory at this sign that he did disdain of her family as he would not allow his sister to be seen with them in public, but a traitorous voice inside said that he was merely concerned for her education. How unpleasant it was to find that all of her previous judgements of the gentleman could be so easily undermined by logic and had merely been based on her petty dislike of him. She was unlikely to ever be particularly comfortable in his company, but he had not deserved her harsh judgements and for the sake of Jane and Bingley they could both be civil.

* * *

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	23. Chapter 23

**Hello!**

 **Thanks for all the amazing support that this story is getting. Every good review, follow or favourite always makes me so happy. There's more LizzyxDarcy interaction in this chapter. I'm so glad Lizzy is finally back with everyone else - I needed her to be away long enough for things to happen but having her in the middle of events rather than on the sidelines is much more exciting. To the reviewer who asked about the Colonel, he won't be coming to dinner, but don't worry, his part is far from over. We'll check back in with him in a few chapters time.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

When the Gardiner household woke the next morning Elizabeth was surprised to be prevented from donning a simple day dress and led her to her aunt's dressing room instead. There she was carefully aided by her sister and aunt into one of her aunt's most fashionable outfits, which the maid quickly took in to fit her slimmer frame.

'I thought we were merely shopping today.' She protested incredulously as her aunt's maid forced her hair up into a fashionable style.

'We are dearest.' Jane soothed her gently. 'But Louisa is to take us to a more fashionable area of town to take tea in a popular tea room. She thinks it best that my face becomes known to the ton before my marriage. If I am to be accepted then I must be introduced at some point, and it would hardly do to allow rumours of some scandal to grow. To dress fashionably will aid us.'

Lizzy wrinkled her nose but could not deny this logic. She had to admit that she rather liked the way the cut of this gown flattered her figure, with the rich pink colour and delicate flowers embroidered into it enhancing the appearance of her dark curls and bright eyes. Jane dressed in blue as was her usual custom, matching her own eyes. When they were both fully made up their aunt stood back to admire her work. Each was surprised when proud tears welled up in her eyes.

'How you have both grown.' Mrs Gardiner smiled, remembering the young girls they had been when she first married their uncle twelve years ago. Jane had maintained the same serene beauty across the years, but it was difficult to believe that this fine lady in front of her was the same Lizzy who had once scrambled up trees dressed in breeches and barely been seen without a coat of mud. 'I am so proud of both of you.' She kissed each of them on the forehead. The sisters felt equally overcome with emotion, valuing as they did the opinion of this woman over that of any other they knew.

Eventually, the moment had to come to an end as Jane and Elizabeth must soon meet Mrs Hurst. They piled into the carriage to be driven to the fashionable area of town, waving to their young cousins who watched from a window. Mrs Gardiner was not accompanying them, supposedly on the grounds of a prior engagement. In reality, she knew that it was better for her nieces to be introduced into high society without the tarnish of their relations in trade. They were the daughters of a gentleman and deserved to be treated as such.

She knew better than to admit this to them as they would never agree to it, both being idealists who objected to the strictures of society on class, but she was more experienced than they were with the ways of the world and wanted what was best for them. If that meant that she could not accompany them into the more fashionable areas of town then so be it.

Unaware of this, the Bennet sisters greatly enjoyed their morning of shopping with Mrs Hurst. Jane felt refreshed by her day off and the company of her sister, giving her the stamina to continue the task which by the end of the previous week had become so tedious. Lizzy found great amusement in the evidence of the frivolities of the rich and powerful which could be observed in this part of town, though she soon grew tired of the shopping itself. At several points she attempted to escape towards stores selling books or music but was quickly pulled back by Jane or Mrs Hurst.

Jane was steadily becoming more and more grateful to have Louisa there to advise her on all of the things seen as important in the ton which she had not been able to learn from Hertfordshire society. Louisa's time at finishing school, as well as experience from her own wedding, put her in good stead to point out what was essential for success in society and what was simply impractical or a waste of money.

All three ladies were pleased when the time finally came for a break. Mrs Hurst led them to a fashionable tea parlour that was frequented by many influential people, knowing that much curiosity would be stirred up over the identity of these unknown beauties. Jane and Bingley's engagement announcement had been released in the papers a few days earlier and Mrs Hurst had received more invitations and callers since then than she could ever remember having before as the gossips of society clamoured to find out who the woman Mr Bingley had finally settled on could be. Despite his unfortunate background in trade, Mr Bingley had been considered quite a catch in the lower circles of the ton for his large fortune and agreeable nature.

As predicted, several sets of eyes followed them as they entered. The Bennet sisters were painfully aware of the scrutiny, but followed Mrs Hurst's example and ignored it. They could not allow themselves to be intimidated. Elizabeth was suddenly pleased that such care had gone into dressing that morning. Mrs Hurst had been pleasantly surprised by the fashionable attire that the two had managed to attain for the day and assured them that they would fit in, but they still felt underdressed in comparison to the extravagant outfits of the wealthiest patrons. _They make Caroline Bingley's outfits look modest._ Lizzy thought, spotting several flashes of the bright orange and green shades that Miss Bingley favoured which had seemed so out of place in Hertfordshire. The trio was soon seated at a pleasant table and ordered refreshments, attempting to converse as if they did not hold the attention of most of the room.

A little while later two gentlemen entered and settled themselves at a corner table. Immediately their eyes were drawn to the two unfamiliar women.

'Who are Mrs Hurst's new friends?' One of them asked the other.

'The Bennet sisters, I am told. One of them is to marry Bingley. Their father's estate neighbours the one he has leased in Hertfordshire.' The second gentleman replied.

'Which is to be married?' His friend asked with his eyes still fixed on the intriguing ladies.

'The one in blue I believe. She is his type.' Bingley was known for his liking of women with blonde hair and blue eyes.

'Ah yes, a shame for she is certainly a beauty. But the sister is unattached?' He shifted his gaze to focus solely on the lady in pink with the more slender figure. Although her colouring was not as fashionable as her sister's, she too was a beauty with dark eyes and a glistening smile.

'To the best of my knowledge. Pretty, is she not?'

'Very.' He agreed. 'I suppose we must hope that Mrs Bingley has a liking for town and requests her sister's company often.'

'Their dowries are rumoured to be very small.' His friend warned.

'It has not stopped Bingley. They are daughters of gentlemen are they not? Surely if they were very poor they could not be dressed so. Besides, there is much inducement...'

Similar conversations to this were echoed across town as word of the Bennet sisters spread. Gentlemen cursed their luck that Bingley had scooped up such a beauty while jealous ladies complained that they did not understand what all of the fuss was about. Much debate circulated over the size of Miss Bennet's dowry and in one parlour she could be heard to be an heiress to thirty thousand pounds while in that adjacent she was known to be positively destitute.

Blissfully unaware of the cascade of rumours which had spread simply as a result of their presence in a tea shop, Jane and Elizabeth returned to Gracechurch street tired but satisfied with their day. With only a few hours until they were expected at the Darcy's, they rushed to change into evening gowns immediately.

'Shall I be fine enough for our exalted company?' Elizabeth asked Jane jokingly as their carriage rattled further into the expensive part of town.

'You look very pretty, as you well know Lizzy.' Jane answered serenely.

Lizzy only smiled, trying not to be awed by the size and grandeur of the houses that they were now passing. She was reminded of her cousin's comments before their first trip to Rosings, how he had told her haughtily that she should not worry about the state of her dress as Lady Catherine liked to see the distinction of rank preserved. Would Mr Darcy take equal delight in observing her inferiority? A few weeks ago she would have been certain of the answer but now she hardly knew what to think. She had told Mr Darcy that her courage always rose with every attempt to intimidate her, but tonight would be a true test of that.

All too soon for her liking the carriage pulled up and they dismounted. She had to admit that the Darcy townhouse was very well situated. Although it was in the fashionable district it was distanced enough from the busiest shopping areas as to provide a sense of privacy and it sat opposite a fine park which she longed to explore. She could not begin to imagine what a house in this area must cost.

Bitter memories of Mr Darcy's conduct in Hertfordshire welled up at this. Proud, disagreeable man. Just because he has all of this he thinks we are beneath his notice. Lizzy caught herself. That was not necessarily true. Mr Darcy had visited her Aunt and Uncle in Gracechurch street on more than one occasion despite its proximity to Cheapside and had also invited them to his own house tonight. He genuinely seemed to enjoy their company despite the fact that they were in trade. In retrospect, she realised that Bingley's wealth also came from trade but he was Darcy's closest friend, so he could hardly be as snobbish as she had imagined.

She followed her family into the entrance hall of the grand house, dismissing these musings. Inside she found that the house was just as Jane had described. The decor was modest and restrained, in direct contrast to the flamboyance of Rosings. They were welcomed with warm greetings from their hosts and led directly through to a fine parlour. The Hursts and Mr Bingley were already present, though thankfully Miss Bingley was nowhere to be seen. For now, at least, her brother was staying true to his word to punish her for her disgraceful behaviour.

Bingley quickly monopolised Jane's attention while Mrs Gardiner was soon pulled into the lively discussion between Miss Darcy and Mrs Hurst on wallpaper design. Having little interest in this, Elizabeth found herself quite alone with Mr Darcy as her uncle and Mr Hurst had discovered their shared passion for fishing and were already conversing animatedly on the subject.

'Miss Elizabeth, you look very well this evening.' He bowed to her.

'I believe it is customary to give thanks for such a compliment sir, but as I am your guest for the evening you are obliged to give it even if you think quite the opposite, so I hardly know what my response should be. If you are sincere then I suppose I must thank you sincerely, but if you are not then I must ask you to desist before my vanity is inflated even further.'

'You are wise to suspect such deception madam for the parlours of London are dangerous places, but I assure you that in this case your caution is unnecessary. I am not given to offering false compliments in order to swell the vanity of my guests.' Elizabeth smiled at his response, pleased that he was joining in with her jest.

'In that case, I am obliged to pay a compliment in return, but I know you abhor disguise of any sort so I must be careful with my choice of words.' She teased, wondering whether he would go along with it or revert to the abrupt manner that he had always displayed in her company before.

'Do you mean to say that you are given to offering false compliments in order to swell the vanity of your hosts, or do you merely find so little to your liking here that you feel you must resort to disguise to avoid offence?' Was Mr Darcy's answer. Previously, Elizabeth might have said that his expression was inscrutable and she even might have supposed that he was genuinely insulted or trying to insult her, but now that Charlotte had forced her to reconsider her unfairly harsh judgements of him, she found herself noticing new details that she had not seen before. His left eyebrow was raised ever so slightly and his deep eyes which often so unnerved her showed a glimmer of what she was relatively sure was humour. The tension around his mouth which she had often mistaken for disapproval, was, she now strongly suspected, an effort not to smile. He was teasing her.

'Vanity is a weakness that I know you to be completely free from, sir, for you told me so yourself when we were at Netherfield, so I know my efforts to gratify that would be wasted. But I confess that you have caught me, I like your situation here very well. I am neither attempting flattery nor trying to avoid giving offence.' Elizabeth admitted, wondering how he would react to her mention of Netherfield. Looking back now, she was beginning to think that he had been teasing her then too, though at the time she had been determined to be insulted by anything he said.

'You forget, though, that my sister is also your hostess while you are here. What of her vanity? Surely you may seek to flatter that.' Darcy said, choosing to avoid the subject of Netherfield considering what he had learnt about Elizabeth's opinion of him at that stage of their acquaintance.

'It is very gallant of you to attempt to redeem me, sir, but that will not do. You see, I know your sister to be a paragon of virtue, as Miss Bingley has said it so it must be true. I am quite convinced that she is also entirely free of vanity. It seems I have sacrificed the substance of my conversation in an attempt at wit and I am heartily ashamed of myself. As penance, I shall hold my tongue for the rest of the evening.' Elizabeth replied theatrically.

'But that course of action will only punish us all by depriving us of your observations! I am sure no one here would accuse your conversation to be lacking in substance or wit, madam.' Mr Darcy was quick to answer.

'Ah, but that may speak more for the charity of our friends than my skill in oratory, for I find that recently I have been rather deficient in both. But it does no good to dwell on one's own failings; our time on this earth is far too short for that. I suppose we must agree, then, that all of us look very well this evening, including the décor, though you will have to forgive me for lacking the enthusiasm that my aunt and your sister appear to have for wallpaper.' Elizabeth attempted to deflect her embarrassment at his flattery with more wit. Darcy seemed only bemused by her ability to sidestep all of his attempted compliments and paused for a moment before replying.

'I must admit to having no strong feelings on wallpaper myself, so I suppose we must each forgive the other.' He said, giving Elizabeth the strong sensation that he was thinking of more than just wallpaper.

At this moment it was announced that dinner had been served and Darcy offered his arm to escort Elizabeth through to the dining room. It was with disappointment on the gentleman's part that he moved to sit at the head of the table with the Gardiners separating him from Elizabeth. He had thought this arrangement was best so as not to intimidate her, but he was still loath to miss out on her witty conversation. At least he could continue to prove himself to her by behaving amiably towards her aunt and uncle.

Elizabeth was pleased to find herself between her aunt and Miss Darcy with Jane and Bingley sitting opposite. Though her conversation with Mr Darcy had been surprisingly enjoyable, the distance from him now was welcome, allowing her to relax and converse without analysing the meaning of every word spoken. With surprise she found that her favourite dishes constantly appeared right in front of her and for a moment she wondered whether Mr Darcy had noted her preferences when they had dined together in the past, but she soon dismissed this thought as ridiculous. It must just be a coincidence, for it was not as if he had any reason to remember.

* * *

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	24. Chapter 24

**Hello!**

 **Thanks for all of the lovely reviews. I hope you all continue to enjoy the story as it progresses. We're well over half way through now but it feels like there's still so much left to happen. Some of you might remember that when I first started posting this I said my draft was 75k words... yeah, safe to say its grown quite a bit since then. I don't think it will grow too much past 110k words, but I've been known to double the length of chapters in my editing process so I'm really not sure. I can say that there are currently 39 chapters which probably won't change unless I realise I'm missing something essential. Thanks for sticking with me and as always I will be posting a new chapter every week on Saturday or Sunday.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Dinner was an affair enjoyable to all, with fine conversation, plentiful laughter and exquisite food. It was not until dessert had been served that there was a sudden and unexpected disturbance. Earlier that evening Caroline Bingley was in her locked room in the nearby Hurst townhouse, fuming at her ill-treatment. She had been confined there for days, broken only by the walk in the park that her brother and several servants would escort her on every morning (outside of fashionable hours of course) to ensure that she did not go stir crazy.

Overhearing the gossip of servants in the corridor, Miss Bingley had discovered the dinner party taking place that night and was furious that she would miss it. Certain that Mr Darcy could not know of her brother's cruelty and would step in to save her when she told him of it, Miss Bingley devised her plan of escape.

In the afternoon she dressed in a fine evening gown, although she was prevented from donning her very finest by the need to dress unassisted. She pinned her hair as elegantly as she was able to on her own, thanking the lord that she had often paid close attention to her maid's actions when styling it in order to better scold her when her work was sub-par. Then, hating the indignity of it but knowing that it was a necessary evil, Miss Bingley climbed into her wardrobe to wait.

Her plan worked like clockwork. At precisely seven in the evening, a maid came to her rooms to deliver her meal. Unable to see her mistress within, the young servant immediately ran to sound the alarm that Miss Bingley was gone. With this established, Miss Bingley slipped quietly from her hiding place and rushed down a back stairway even as the servants were gathering at the front of the house to search for her.

She demeaned herself to leaving by the servant's exit as this was the last place they would think to find her and hurried away in the direction of Darcy house before she could be recognised. Though it was highly improper for a lady to be travelling through London alone at night, Miss Bingley was desperate and knew the route to the Darcy townhouse to be quite safe.

The growing dusk along with her bonnet and shawl would conceal her identity from anyone glancing out of their window, making her thankful that her evening meal was served so late. It was far more fashionable to eat just after five, another part of her brother's punishment to her being that she should wait to eat until they had finished dining below, so they would likely be close to finishing the meal at Darcy house but that could not be helped.

Finally, she reached her destination, fatigued from the uncharacteristically long walk but determined non-the-less. _It is not fashionable for a lady to be able to walk for miles on end_ , she thought, snidely picturing Miss Eliza Bennet's display all those months ago at Netherfield. _When I am Mrs Darcy I shall never have to walk so again_. With this promise to bolster her, she approached up the grand steps to Darcy house and knocked on the door.

Remembering the rudeness of the servants from her last visit, she barged straight past when the door was opened and rushed to the dining room before anyone could think to stop her. Hurriedly her bonnet, shawl and pelisse were discarded on a side table as she went.

To an outside observer, the shock mirrored on every face in the room when Caroline Bingley burst through the door would have been comical in the extreme. Poor Georgiana whose spoon had been halfway to her mouth dropped it with a clatter, splashing cream on her dress. Mr Hurst was even more unlucky, the surprise causing him to spit out a mouthful of wine as he began to choke.

Before anything could be said the frantic butler burst into the room, apologising profusely for allowing such an intrusion. However, he was soon cut off by a messenger who followed him in, determined to tell Mr Bingley that his sister had escaped and was not to be found anywhere. A sudden cacophony of confused voices arose as several people tried to speak at once, until one broke through the wall of noise.

'Silence!' Mr Darcy bellowed, rising from his seat. He was universally obeyed, all eyes turning to him. The man in question was determined to use this as a chance to prove his ability in managing problems in front of Miss Elizabeth and even more determined still that their evening should not be cut short.

'Sir,' he began, turning to the messenger first, 'we thank you for your haste in delivering your message, but as you can see we have located Miss Bingley, or rather she has located us. Your services are no longer required. Hobbs, I can see that you were not able to prevent Miss Bingley's entry, but please could you have her escorted to the front parlour and watched by a footman. Miss Bingley, you have entered this house uninvited and _will_ follow my instruction until your brother decides the best course of action.'

At this Darcy paused, waiting for his initial instructions to be carried out. Miss Bingley seemed unable to fathom the fact that he had not taken her side and so offered little resistance as she was escorted away. As soon as she was out of the room Bingley began to apologise profusely, but Darcy would have none of it.

'No Charles, you needn't leave. I do not blame you at all for this. You have been firm with her and could not have predicted that she would go to such lengths. Have two footmen accompany her home and ensure she is secured once more. Her only purpose in coming here can have been to ruin our evening. We shall not allow her that victory.'

At first Bingley seemed unsure, but he had no desire to leave yet and saw the wisdom in his friend's words so he soon agreed.

'I have received confirmation from our aunt that she would happily take Caroline, I shall set her on the coach to Huddersfield directly in the morning.' He added, much to the relief of the whole party.

For a little longer shocked silence reigned, the ease of the party before Caroline Bingley's entrance having evaporated, and the uncertain guests picked at their suddenly less appetising deserts. Elizabeth glanced at Miss Darcy beside her to ensure she had not been unduly alarmed by the situation and their eyes locked as the younger girl attempted to dab her dress clean with a napkin.

The ridiculousness of the whole affair struck both women at the same time and they began to giggle, simultaneously raising their napkins to their lips to muffle their laughter. Mr Hurst, who had thankfully stopped choking, went next, his deep laugh bellowing out across the room. Seeing her husband's mirth Mrs Hurst was unable to contain her own for much longer and was soon wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. The Gardiners soon joined in and with so many of her relations in hysterics Jane could not help but begin as well despite the guilt she felt for doing so at the expense of another. Seeing that he had not lost the regard of his angel due to his sister's actions, Mr Bingley quickly found the humour in the situation too.

For Mr Darcy's part, he had never seen anything as beautiful as Miss Elizabeth's unrestrained joy. Her fine eyes which had first attracted his admiration danced and he vowed to himself that he would seek to elicit this expression from her as often as was possible. Though he himself did not join in with the laughter, he did offer a rare smile as he observed the happiness in his sister and close friends.

When they had all regained their composure the easy atmosphere was restored and desert was soon finished. The separation of the sexes was short as none of the gentlemen wished to be long from the ladies. Just enough time was taken to enjoy some fine brandy while Bingley left to deal with his sister. He did not mince his words, realising that his sister was quite insensible to anything he said. Instead, he followed Darcy's advice to have her taken home and supervised at all times, having her escorted back by the two footmen Darcy put at his disposal and relaying his orders on to the Hurst's staff.

There were no more disturbances to mar the evening and time flew by as it so often does when fun is being had. A card table was brought out and Georgiana, Elizabeth and Mrs Hurst performed on the pianoforte in turn leaving no shortage of entertainment. In cards, Elizabeth participated happily and upon achieving some modicum of success, turned to Mr Darcy.

'So you see sir, I did not lie to Miss Bingley. Her claim that I despise cards and take pleasure in nought but reading was entirely false. I take pleasure in many things – none more so than when I win!'

'I must beg to disagree madam. You must be the judge of whether you take pleasure in many things, but I remember you also told Miss Bingley that you were not a great reader and this I know to be a falsehood.'

Elizabeth hardly knew what to make of this compliment, but she was saved form venturing a reply by the beginning of a new hand and soon put it from her mind. For Darcy's part, this evening had made him almost overwhelmingly happy. He had thought himself in love with Elizabeth before, but now that he was included in her wit rather than the target of it he was even more enchanted than he had been. It was almost as if he could see her gradually warming to him.

When at the close of the evening she and Georgiana performed a duet together his joy was complete. He hoped that this was a glimpse of many evenings in their future where Georgiana would surely blossom under Elizabeth gentle guidance and the halls of Pemberley would truly feel like home again. All too soon for his liking, the carriages were being called and coats being donned. If he did happen to linger over Miss Elizabeth's hand as they said their goodbyes then it was surely pardonable, for it had been a long evening and everyone was weary.

The only member of the party who was not entirely satisfied by the end of the evening was Mr Bingley. Although Caroline's interruption had been quickly forgotten by all others, he could not put it from his mind. Even the assurances of Jane and Darcy that he was not at fault and they did not blame him provided little comfort. At heart, he knew that he _was_ at fault.

No matter what anyone said, she was his sister and his responsibility and it was years of his lax behaviour that had led to this point. If he had been firm with her from the beginning then this could have been prevented and her prospects would be better for it. If her behaviour could not be corrected and her expectations lowered then it seemed unlikely now that she would ever marry.

That would not only impact on him and Louisa but also doubtlessly leave her to be miserable with her lot in life. All because he had turned a blind eye or let her get her own way one time too many. He said his goodnights to the Hursts', observing that at least their relationship seemed to be improving now. In fact, Hurst had become a lot more likeable in general since Caroline was taken out of the picture. How much pain in Louisa's marriage had been caused by her behaviour? Too much, was the most probable answer. Sighing, Bingley used the thought of his upcoming wedding to find energy and ascended to face something he should have dealt with years ago.

Lying in the bed which she was sharing with her sister, Lizzy stared up at the dark ceiling, reflecting on the pleasant evening. Her thoughts quickly turned to Mr Darcy. She hardly knew what to think of his current behaviour. He had been almost… charming? She felt her cheeks flush and shook her head. She must have had too much wine.

It was undeniable, however, that his manners were distinctly more pleasing than they had been in Hertfordshire or Kent. Charlotte's words echoed in her mind but she pushed them down. It was ridiculous to believe that his changed attitude was aimed at _her_. Lizzy was glad for the change though, for it made her anticipate the time that they would undoubtedly have to spend together during Jane's engagement and married life with much less trepidation. _This_ Darcy she could be friends with. _This_ Darcy she would happily speak to at any time.

* * *

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	25. Chapter 25

**Hello!**

 **Thanks as always for your support. In this chapter we're checking in with Wickham. How likely do you think it is that he will make it out of the country as planned?**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Water lapped up against the quayside and out in the harbour ships swayed rhythmically in time. Thomas Davis strode along the docks, eager to leave the bustling port now that his business for the day was complete. Unbeknownst to him, there was a man observing him from the shadows. That same man had been following him all day, easily blending into the crowd of workmen and sailors and staying just close enough to overhear his conversations. The man continued to follow as Davis made his way back through the city, only stopping when he entered the inn where he was staying with Wickham.

Davis sighed wearily as he trudged up the stairs to the small room he and Wickham were currently occupying. Just a few more days and he would be free to return to London. They had arrived in Liverpool a few nights before after almost a week of travel and today he had been able to secure Wickham's place on an outbound ship that would be leaving for the Americas soon, using the papers and money that Colonel Fitzwilliam had given him. He did not trust Wickham enough to give him a room of his own, but today he had let the man out of his sight for the first time since they left Hertfordshire, leaving him in their room while he was out.

Davis opened the door to their room, half expecting Wickham to be gone. To his pleasant surprise, he was not, though he had leapt to his feet armed with a candlestick when the door opened.

'Oh. It is just you.' Wickham said, relaxing and replacing his weapon of choice. Davis shook his head. He had quickly learnt that Wickham was not cut out for the army. He might be charming in social situations, but he was one of the most nervous men imaginable when he was in danger. It had begun to make Davis wonder what kind of people he thought were chasing after him. Maybe he was just worried that the Colonel would change his mind and instead of sending him to America he would simply be made to disappear.

Deciding that his energy was wasted on such a topic, Davis informed Wickham that their meal would be brought up to them this evening and returned to ignoring his irritating companion as he had been trying to do for the past week. Pulling out his writing supplies, he began to scribble down a note to send to Colonel Fitzwilliam. He had been writing with updates so that the Colonel knew everything was in order, though even sent express this letter would probably take more than three days to reach London.

Davis thought back over his acquaintance with the Colonel. When Richard Fitzwilliam was first given the command of their regiment, the twenty-five-year-old son of an Earl, the troops beneath him were sceptical, to say the least. They had assumed that he would be like officers with connections in high places that they had all known in the past, lazy, ignorant and overall more of a hindrance than a help when faced with life or death decisions, happy to let those beneath them go to their deaths while they remained in safety.

More than six years had passed since then, though, and he had proved himself time and again in the field of battle. Now any of the men under his command would take a bullet for him without a second thought. Davis, who had captained one of the ten companies in the battalion the Colonel commanded, also considered him a personal friend.

Edging into the later part of his forties, living in the regiment had started to become harder for Davis and after sustaining an injury which he had struggled to recover from the previous year his family had persuaded him to take the honourable discharge the Colonel offered him. Now, he was working behind a desk in his father-in-law's business, preparing to take it over one day. Though he was grateful to see his wife and children every day, it was difficult knowing that most of the men he had served with were still out fighting on the continent and that the Colonel would be returning to join them soon.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts and he rose to answer it. It was the maid with their meal. He stepped aside to allow her entry then retreated back to his chair while she arranged the plates and cups. Wickham struck up a conversation with her, apparently deploying his famed charms as she blushed and giggled. Davis shook his head and ignored them, releasing a thankful breath when she left the room and silence was restored.

Reaching over, he examined the meal they had been given. It was nothing particularly remarkable, but it seemed edible. He began to eat, making it halfway through the plate before the world began to spin. Davis realised in horror that he must have been drugged. He turned to look at Wickham in accusation, suddenly suspicious of his rapport with the maid, but found him already unconscious. Fear coursed through him. If this was not Wickham's doing then they were both in serious trouble. He tried to call for help but was not able to make a sound. A few moments more and the darkness claimed him.

When Davis woke the world was moving around him and there was a terrible pounding in his head. After a few seconds, he regained enough of his senses to realise that the world didn't just seem to be moving, it actually was. The rocking motion was because he was in some kind of cart and the pounding was the sound of it rattling along.

'You're alive!' Someone cried from nearby. Turning his head, he saw that it was Wickham. He was propped against the side of the cart they were in, hands tied behind him. Davis tried to move his arms and found that he was tied in the same way. Well, at least he could safely say that Wickham wasn't behind this.

'What happened?' He asked Wickham, hoping that he might have seen something about their captors which could help to identify them.

'I would assume that we have been kidnapped.' Wickham replied dryly. 'Although for what purpose, I cannot say. Since our dear friend Colonel Fitzwilliam destroyed all of the blackmail material I had accumulated, it is not unlikely that this may be the work of a disgruntled acquaintance of mine. Which one, I could not say. There are just so many to choose from.'

'Hazard a guess.' Davis prompted, irritated by Wickham's blasé attitude.

'Well, we may rule out some of my less savoury acquaintances, they would have killed us immediately. Kidnapping smells more of a money-related issue. If it was a disgruntled father or relation, death once again would have been the more likely scenario. Whoever it is has the resources to track us to Liverpool and plan our kidnapping as well, this does not seem to have been a spur of the moment action. Someone I owe money… well, you do hear rumours. Most likely if they know I cannot pay my debts then they will expect me to work it off – or to die trying. Since you were in my company they probably saw the opportunity to get more free labour and eliminate anyone who has an idea of where I am at the same time.' Wickham rattled off without missing a beat. 'So, I would say we can narrow it down to a nice round fifteen main candidates. Unless you have any enemies we should add to the list?'

'Good God man! Is there anyone left in the country that you haven't made an enemy of?' Davis exclaimed.

'Several people actually. I never got north of Derbyshire. Just think, I still had half of the country left.' Wickham's humour continued. Davis was beginning to think that the man was having a stress-induced meltdown.

'Oh, I think you undersell yourself. We are several days north of Derbyshire and someone still felt strongly enough to pursue you. Did you happen to meet any northerners in London who might hold a grudge?'

'Let us hope not, for both our sakes. If we have a long journey south it will give us more time to find a means of escape.' Wickham replied.

'I don't suppose you still have that candlestick on you?' Davis quirked an eyebrow at his companion, only partly in jest.

'No.' Wickham replied seriously. 'But there is a letter opener in my left boot.'

'Of course there is.' Davis almost laughed. 'You know, sometimes I almost think I could like you, Wickham.'

* * *

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	26. Chapter 26

**Hello!**

 **Sorry this update is so late - I was having internet connection issues but everything seems to be resolved now. This chapter we are back to Lizzy and Darcy in London.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The morning following the dinner at Darcy house was a busy one for the Bennet sisters. The modiste was due to fit some of the dresses Jane had ordered, including the one she would wear on her wedding day. Mrs Hurst arrived at Gracechurch street early in the morning to assist her future sister. Elizabeth was somewhat surprised. She could not recall ever seeing the Bingley sisters rise before noon at Netherfield, but apparently a special exception was made when fashion was involved.

'It is a shame that Miss Darcy could not join us.' Jane commented at one point, thinking that the somewhat lonely younger girl would have enjoyed feeling involved in the process.

'Yes, but we shall all see each other this afternoon at Darcy house. We can give her an account then. I thought we could take her some samples of the material so that she can see the colours for herself.' Louisa replied distractedly, too busy comparing what Elizabeth thought were identical pieces of fabric to give her companions much notice.

Jane and Elizabeth exchanged a glance. This was the first they had heard of a visit to Darcy house in the afternoon. Elizabeth took a steadying breath, reminding herself that jumping to conclusions had served her ill lately.

'I believe it is traditional to be invited, not summoned.' She murmured under her breath, but she did not push the point. It was not as though Jane would have foregone the chance to see Mr Bingley given the opportunity.

The morning seemed almost endless and Elizabeth could only be thankful that she did not have to suffer being stuck with pins for its entirety like poor Jane. Her serene older sister was bearing the ordeal with her usual grace. Lizzy sighed, gazing longingly out of the window at the shining sun. She yearned to be outside in nature, even if it was only the artificial semblance of nature offered by London's parks. It was not to be, though. Instead, yet another afternoon would be wasted away in a stuffy drawing room.

Finally the modiste finished her work and they descended to the front parlour where Mrs Gardiner was listening as her daughter practised on the pianoforte. Louisa departed quickly, wishing to return home to freshen up before they met again at Darcy house.

'Will you be accompanying us this afternoon, aunt?' Elizabeth asked in what she hoped was a casual voice, wondering if her aunt knew any more about this visit than she and Jane did.

'Oh, goodness, yes, I am awfully sorry, girls. I accepted Miss Darcy's invitation on all our behalves last night but then it completely slipped my mind to tell you. She had lessons this morning and was disappointed that she would not be able to come here. I was sure that neither of you would object to spending the afternoon with her. She is such a sweet girl.' Their aunt replied.

Jane was quick to assure her that they did not object at all. Elizabeth nodded her agreement, chiding herself mentally for her earlier reaction. She had assumed that Mr Darcy had been the one to request their presence and had not seen fit to give them chance to refuse, a ridiculous scenario now she thought on it properly.

In no time at all they were descending from the carriage and making their way into Darcy house. It was every bit as grand as it had been the night before, although perhaps slightly less imposing when viewed for the second time. Elizabeth gave a longing glance at the park opposite (Hyde Park, she was relatively sure) before resigning herself to entering the building. At least the parlour Georgiana seemed to favour was light and airy.

Bingley and the Hursts had already arrived when they entered, but Mr Darcy was nowhere in sight. Elizabeth felt a twinge of something – disappointment? – but immediately pushed it away. There was no reason for her to expect or desire his presence. This knowledge, however, did nothing to prevent the smile which pulled at her lips when the gentleman in question strode into the room a moment later. So perhaps she was a little curious to see whether his recent bout of amiability would continue. Perhaps.

'Actually, since it is such a pleasant day, we could all walk in the park. It is truly beautiful at this time of year.' Elizabeth had been paying little heed to the conversation between her sister and Georgiana, but this comment immediately drew her attention.

'Even if I wished to refuse, I do not believe Lizzy could forgive me for passing up such an offer!' Jane replied. With this, it was decided. Quickly, bonnets and wraps were donned, Elizabeth hardly believing her luck.

Watching her, Mr Darcy allowed himself a moment of self-congratulations, soaking in the contentment on his beloved's face like she was the sun and him one of the plants she so adored. It had been a simple matter to place the idea of walking in the park in his sister's head and he had known that none would deny anything she suggested.

Jane and Mr Bingley were soon lost in each other's company, oblivious to the rest of the party, while Georgiana began to ask eagerly for details of Jane's wedding dress and was happily obliged by Mrs Hurst. Mr Hurst had offered his arm to Mrs Gardiner, taking Elizabeth completely by surprise. She had no clue what they could be talking about, but they seemed happy enough.

'Miss Elizabeth?' Mr Darcy held out his arm to her. Remembering their pleasant conversations from the previous evening, Elizabeth smiled and took it.

'I had not realised you were also eager to hear about silks and satins, sir.' Elizabeth could not resist teasing. Mr Darcy took it graciously, replying that he would be eager to hear anything she wished to say. She was tempted to hold him to that, but after a whole morning of it, she did not think she could bring herself to speak about satin or lace for a moment longer.

They had somehow ended up at the back of the group and Elizabeth was annoyed by the slow pace. She fancied she could feel Darcy's irritation mirroring her own. Though there had been many things awkward about the times he had escorted her back to the parsonage when they met on her morning walks in Kent, the pace had not been one of them.

Thinking back to the time she had spent with him in both Hertfordshire an Kent, she knew that he was generally very active. He would usually ride in the mornings, or sometimes walk instead. Perhaps being in the city was as difficult for him as it was for her. Perhaps the confinement was why she could sense this strange thrum of energy coming through his normally stoic demeanour.

'What are you thinking of?' He asked her suddenly, taking her by surprise.

'Why do you ask?' She questioned rather than answering. She hardly wished to admit that she had been thinking about his exercising habits.

'Perhaps I am attempting to sketch your character.' He replied, the traces of a smirk pulling at the edge of his mouth.

'Ah. And how do you get along?' Elizabeth inquired, fully aware of how this echoed their conversation many months ago at the Netherfield ball.

'Very ill, I suspect. I have been told I am not good at understanding people. I am attempting to learn, though.' He admitted, though in truth he felt that he knew Elizabeth's character very well. It was her emotions that he struggled to discern, particularly in regards to him.

'I am afraid I am a poor subject for a beginner.' Elizabeth replied. At his questioning look, she elaborated. 'Just recently I have learnt that I hardly seem to understand myself. A dear friend helped me to realise that. If I have failed so spectacularly at sketching my own character, I would hope it is not an easy study for others. It would speak poorly of my own powers of discernment if to the rest of the world I was an open book.'

'Perhaps.' Darcy said, a look of deep contemplation on his face. 'But I have often thought that the people we know least in this world are ourselves. I may not be a good judge of character, but I often feel I know how my friends, tenants or family will react to certain situations. What I can rarely predict is how I myself will react. Things so often do not work out the way I intend them to.'

'Yes, you may be right. I fancy I could tell you how Jane would react to almost anything, but… there are others I thought I could say the same of who have proved me entirely mistaken.' Elizabeth seemed far away and he was sure that she was thinking of Mrs Collins's choice to marry. Could he dare to hope that she also counted him among those she had misjudged?

'Does the park meet with your approval?' Mr Darcy asked after a few moments had passed in silence. Elizabeth looked for any trace of judgement in his expression, but he seemed to be genuinely curious.

'If I answer honestly, will you choose to despise my taste in parks?' She questioned, mostly in jest.

'No, I assure you.' He held her gaze for a moment before looking away. 'I have every faith that your taste in parks is excellent.'

'Very well, then I shall venture to answer, but I must warn you that my response will not be short. Nature is a topic that I will speak on for hours, whether my audience is willing to listen or not.' He made no move to stop her, so she continued. 'I do find this park pleasing. It seems large, which a park ought to be if it can. I do not like to be overlooked by houses as I walk. It is also rather quiet at the moment. I find the custom of going to the park to be seen rather strange. To me, walking is done for pleasure and to feel at one with nature. I do not wish to parade around while I am watched like a rare bird. Yes, this is certainly the nicest park in London that I have seen.

'I must say, however, that I will always prefer walking in the country where nature is allowed to do its work and the only sound is the birds. It seems no matter where you go in town there is always the sound of carriages and crowds in the distance and parks like this have just a little too much artifice in their layout for me to ever truly be comfortable in them.'

'I feel much the same.' Darcy admitted. 'At Pemberley, I know that I could walk for miles in any direction and still see only nature stretching before me. To be constantly surrounded by people and buildings is a change I am not sure anyone could get used to after growing up with such freedom.'

'Oh, some can, I am sure. My aunt grew up in the country, you know, but is perfectly content in town.' Elizabeth observed.

'Yes, she passed some of her childhood in a village called Lambton, not five miles from Pemberley.' Darcy replied. 'She speaks of it often. I think she misses it more than she would like to let on. For the right people, we will sacrifice much.'

Elizabeth bristled slightly at this, longing to take offence and inform Darcy that marrying her uncle had been no sacrifice for her aunt, but she made the effort to stay calm. He had meant to complement the love Mr and Mrs Gardiner shared, not insinuate anything negative.

'Yes, I suppose we will.' Lizzy said quietly, more to herself than Mr Darcy.

His gaze had turned to Georgiana who was still listening rapturously to Louisa's detailed descriptions of Jane's trousseau. She watched him as he watched his sister, recognising the tenderness that grew in his eyes as he did so. What would he sacrifice for her? Everything. Her mind supplied the answer and she knew immediately that it was true. There was nothing that the taciturn gentleman, who she had previously thought so selfish and proud, would not do for his sister.

Elizabeth turned her gazed to Jane and wondered what she would sacrifice for her own closest sister. A lot, she was sure, but everything? No. If she had been truly willing to sacrifice everything for Jane then she would have married Mr Collins. It would have been a detestable match, but her mother had been right that it would save them all.

Suddenly Elizabeth gained a new insight into Charlotte's marriage. For all that her dear friend had claimed it was a selfish decision, born of the desire for her own home, husband and child, it had been far more than that. It had been for her brothers so that they would not have to support her into spinsterhood and for her parents so that they did not have the burden of a daughter who could not marry. It had been for Maria so that she did not have the shame of a sister ten years her senior who had not made a match. It had been selfless in a way that Elizabeth was incapable of being.

'Miss Elizabeth?' Darcy questioned, breaking through her thoughts. He was looking at her expectantly and she realised he must have said something that she had missed.

'Forgive me, I was lost in thought. What did you say?' She apologised, hoping that he would brush over her inattention and distract her from the sudden despair she was feeling.

'It is of no matter. Are you well?' He asked in concern. Her face must be betraying her.

'Yes, perfectly well.' His eyes darted down to her hand on his arm and she realised that she was gripping far too tight. She loosened her hold, immediately feeling the loss of his strength keeping her upright. 'Forgive me. I merely came to a conclusion about myself which was less than favourable. It is not important.'

Mr Darcy did not seem to believe her and for a moment she thought he might push her to reveal her thoughts, but he did not. Instead, he gestured to a bed of flowers that they were passing and began to explain the properties, uses and meanings of each of them. Obviously, he had realised that she wished to be distracted. She smiled gratefully as she listened, surprised that he knew so much.

While he talked, she reconciled herself with her realisation. Yes, she had rejected Mr Collins despite the security it could offer her family. Yes, in some lights that may be viewed as selfish. But no, if she could go back in time she would not change her decision. She was Elizabeth Bennet, and she would let nothing but the deepest love induce her into matrimony. Turning her attention back to her companion, she laughed as he explained that all this knowledge came from Lady Catherine who had grown tired of her nephews' antics one summer and taken it upon herself to school Darcy and the three Fitzwilliam sons.

Nothing but the deepest love.

* * *

 **Recognisable bits are adaptations of lines from the original book or the 1995 TV show :).**

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	27. Chapter 27

**Hello!**

 **I hope my punctual update this week makes up for the wait for the last chapter. Thanks for all your support. Darcy and Elizabeth are starting to understand each other properly now but they still have a few challenges left to face.**

 **I did go back to read from the beginning again this week and I feel like my writing style has slipped a bit as the story goes on so I will be doing some more editing and I have tried to pull this chapter back in line. I'm not an experienced writer so you'll have to bear with me while I figure things out, but I am gradually picking up on more of my grammar mistakes and poorly worded phrases and going back to correct them.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Thankfully, the news was received that Caroline had departed safely to Huddersfield two days after her spectacle at the dinner party, though it was expected that the journey would take a full week. What her brother said to her that night may never be known save by a very few, but it must at least have partially registered with her as she entered the waiting carriage on the day of her departure without a fuss after bidding her sister farewell in a manner that may almost be called subdued.

The Bennet sisters' remaining time at Gracechurch street passed in a blur of activity and in the blink of an eye they were preparing to make the return journey to Longbourn. The goodbyes to be said were done so cheerfully, with the knowledge that Mr Bingley was returning to Netherfield in mere days and the Gardiners would be following them to Hertfordshire in a few short weeks for the wedding celebrations. Though Georgiana was saddened to lose her dear new friends, she too would be staying at Netherfield park and so the separation would not be long.

By this point, her upcoming wedding had made Jane almost insensible with excitement, but Lizzy could not reproach her for it. She was overjoyed to see her normally staid sister's happiness and could not imagine a more deserving recipient of it. On the carriage ride back to Hertfordshire Jane regularly fell into rambling about lace and napkins, only to apologise profusely each time as she saw her dear Lizzy's eyes glaze over. At this Lizzy would laugh and declare that for Jane she would listen to descriptions of lace her whole life, as long as she was sure not to let their mother join in.

Steadily the hours passed them by and soon they were rumbling along the road towards their family home. Lizzy sat forward on her seat, feeling the anticipation well up inside her as she drank in the familiar scenery. It had been months since she had walked her favourite paths or slipped away into the sanctuary of her father's library when her mother and sisters became too loud to bear.

Relief washed over her as they came into sight of the house and she saw that everything was as it ever had been. As they pulled up their sisters and parents emerged to greet them, Kitty and Lydia bounding forward in excitement.

'Lizzy, Jane, did you bring us gifts from London?' Lydia's voice was the first they heard. They shared a smile at her predictable question. Some things would simply never change. Mr Bennet quickly came forward and handed his two eldest down from the carriage, embracing each in turn.

'At last I may hear some words of sense around here.' He said fondly.

'Oh no papa, we are quite insensible with the joy of wedding preparations.' Lizzy grinned at him. 'We shall speak of nothing but lace for the next sennight at least.'

'Then I wish you had stayed in town! I have enough of that here already.' He joked squeezing his favourite daughter's hand.

'Oh Mr Bennet, how can you be so cruel! Do you not know that our dearest child returns to us engaged to Mr Bingley? Why, he has five thousand a year, at least! I knew Jane could not be so beautiful for nothing. Send her back to London indeed!' Mrs Bennet fussed over Jane, oblivious as ever to her husband's sarcastic wit. Lizzy only laughed, embracing her sisters and promising Lydia that she would receive her gift just as soon as everything was unpacked.

The house was in uproar for some time, its inhabitants all overexcited by the return of the two ladies and overjoyed by the prospect of Jane's wedding. No sooner than she had finished commending her daughter on catching Mr Bingley did Mrs Bennet begin to scold her for setting the wedding date for so soon, bemoaning all that still had to be done and exclaiming that she could not possibly be ready in time without at least another month on top of what she had been given.

'And why should you not wait?' Mrs Bennet complained, 'For Netherfield is barely three miles away so you shall be as much in company with one another as you can possibly desire.' Between these exclamations, Mrs Bennet also still found time to dwell on Lizzy's rejection of Mr Collins. How much simpler everything would have been if her daughter rather than Charlotte Lucas was to be the next mistress of Longbourn. For all Mr Bingley's fortune, she was certain they were still destined for the hedgerows. Oh yes, her daughters used her very ill indeed.

At length, Elizabeth could stand her mother's fussing no longer and retreated to the company of her father in the library. There she found some much welcome peace and far more sensible conversation. Together they laughed at her tales of Kent and the great Lady Catherine de Bourgh, revelling in all things ridiculous as was their shared hobby. Mr Bennet was particularly amused when Lizzy related the fate of Miss Bingley to him, feeling an unexpected swell of pride for his future son in law when he heard of his firm stance to put Jane first.

When Lizzy had exhausted all that she wished to share she asked in return after the goings on in Hertfordshire while she had been away. This her father related to her with just as much humour as she had given him, relating the foibles of her sisters and mother with great gusto. Eventually, though, he sobered and informed her of the dealings surrounding Mr Wickham.

'You are not hurt by this discovery are you, Lizzy? I know that Mr Wickham was once your favourite.' He asked her gently.

'Only my pride, Papa. I had thought myself so uncommonly clever for taking a dislike to Mr Darcy and I allowed it to cloud my judgement when Mr Wickham spoke to me. I will admit that it soon became clear upon closer acquaintance with Mr Darcy both in Kent and London that Mr Wickham's tale must at least in part be false. For one thing, I could not believe that Colonel Fitzwilliam would condone such behaviour from his cousin and for another Miss Darcy was perfectly amiable, if a little shy, proving that what he had said of her at least was a lie. It appears that one man must have all the goodness and the other all the appearance of it.'

'Yes, well, I hope Mr Darcy knows what he has let himself in for by doing this good deed.' Mr Bennet replied, eyes sparkling.

'Why is that, Papa?' Lizzy grinned, glad to settle back into their easy routine.

'Because your mother has decided that if he is not as disagreeable as we once thought then she must have him as a son-in-law. She was almost put out when Jane's engagement to Mr Bingley was announced and she lost her best candidate, but it seems his five thousand a year won her over in the end as I have had no petitions to withdraw my consent.'

'Oh dear, I never thought I would say it, but poor Mr Darcy! Which of us has she settled on in Jane's place then?' Elizabeth tried to mask her genuine interest under a layer of witty nonchalance.

'Kitty, I believe.' He responded. 'She has not said as much outright, but she has been paying her a great deal more attention than usual. Oh, and I almost forgot, it is to be Catherine now, not Kitty. Apparently, the great Mr Darcy would not approve of nicknames. I suppose you were too impertinent for such a great man and Mary too plain. She could not risk you turning down Mr Darcy as you turned down Mr Collins.'

Lizzy laughed with her father at this, but inside she was slightly hurt. It was not as though she wanted to be pushed together with Mr Darcy of all people, but she _was_ the second eldest and yet her mother had overlooked her, proving once more that she was the least favourite. It was hardly a comfort that Mary had also been overlooked. Mr Darcy was an intelligent gentleman, why did no one seem to think he would want an intelligent wife? Lizzy caught herself. She must have let Charlotte's resolution that Mr Darcy had feelings for her go to her head. Her nonexistent dowry, _tolerable_ looks and impertinent manners hardly made her a good match.

'Lizzy?' Her father probed gently when she did not answer for a long time. 'You are not still upset over the Collins business, are you? Your mother will soon get over the fact that you turned him down. It was the correct decision, even if she does not see that.'

'No Papa, I was merely imagining what it might take to persuade Mr Darcy to marry Kitty.' Lizzy shook herself out of her stupor to respond, forcing her tone to be light and humorous.

'Indeed. As if such a man would ever show interest in one of my daughters! Why, he is probably looking to marry the daughter of an earl at least.' Mr Bennet agreed. He had considered telling Lizzy of Lydia's involvement with Mr Wickham, but he decided not to. After all, it was not her responsibility to be the one to look after the family. No, that role was his, and for the first time in many years he intended to perform it.

* * *

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	28. Chapter 28

**Hi!**

 **This is a chapter pretty much devoted to Lizzy x Darcy interaction. Stylistically I'm not sure it's the best written (conversations terrify me, I find description and introspection much easier to judge), but I hope it does the trick in terms of showing L and D growing closer.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Three days of frantic wedding preparation passed after Jane and Elizabeth's return to Longbourn before the morning came when Mr Bingley and his party could be expected to call. They had planned to arrive at Netherfield the previous afternoon and Bingley was sure to seek out his angel at the earliest possible opportunity.

Lizzy, feeling confined by the chaos of preparations, rose early and set out for a long walk to prepare herself for the day. She followed one of her less-used paths that curved around the side of a tenant's farm, waving to the children playing in the yard as she passed, and headed for a small copse of trees that nestled on one of the only slopes on Longbourn's land. It was a fine spring day and she revelled in the beauty of her native landscape which she had been away from for so long.

As she walked down through the trees, she noticed a rider racing across the fields below, hunched over the neck of his white stallion. They were heading straight for a fence and Elizabeth watched in amazement as the horse cleared it gracefully. As they came closer she drew in a shocked breath. If her eyes were not deceiving her, the rider was Mr Darcy.

He drew steadily closer, though he had not seen Elizabeth concealed in the cover of the trees. She realised that he must be heading towards the stream that separated this edge of the Netherfield and Longbourn estates. She was very close by, but the woods would probably conceal her presence unless he was actively looking for her. The sensible thing to do would be to walk forward and greet him, or else turn away and leave him in privacy. For some reason, though, Elizabeth was not capable of being sensible.

As she watched, he dismounted with graceful ease and led his horse to the water to drink. He was not wearing his coat and the white fabric of his shirt was thin enough that she could see the definition of his muscular shoulders underneath. Suddenly she seemed to have trouble swallowing. Biting her lip, she cursed herself silently for her behaviour. She was as bad as Lydia and Kitty!

To her surprise, Mr Darcy knelt by the stream and cupped his hands in the water, splashing it over his face. She watched entranced, wondering how this could be the same gentleman she was used to seeing immaculately dressed and without a single hair out of place. Withdrawing a handkerchief, he dried himself quickly and stood to straighten out his clothing, combing a hand through his hair to tame it. He then donned the coat which had been draped over his saddle and buttoned it, beginning to look far more like his usual self. As he began to walk away, Elizabeth was seized by the sudden urge to stop him.

'Mr Darcy!' She cried, emerging from the tree line and feigning surprise to see him. 'Good morning, sir.' The gentleman turned on hearing his name and was rooted by his shock for a moment before he could gather himself to respond.

'Miss Bennet!' He exclaimed once he was sure that she was really there and not just a spectre conjured by his mind. He bowed respectfully to her, quickly straightening his stance and trying to school his expression into a respectable one.

He had ridden as hard as he could that morning, trying to pass the time before they could reasonably call at Longbourn. He was suddenly conscious that he was barely presentable and a moment earlier had not been presentable at all. Thank goodness she had not happened upon him then.

Hungrily he drank in her appearance. Her cheeks were flushed pink from exercise and her eyes sparkled in the sun, rendering them even more entrancing than usual. Though they had been parted for less than a week, his heart sang with joy to be close to her again. He realised that she could easily have let him continue walking without alerting him to her presence and his good temper was buoyed even higher by the implication that she welcomed his company.

'Forgive me, I did not mean to startle you.' Elizabeth said, hoping he was not aware that her blush had little to do with the fresh air. 'Alas, it would appear that we are separated this morning.' She continued, ruefully gesturing to the stream which ran between them.

In surprise, she found that she was genuinely annoyed by the obstacle. A part of her which she did not fully understand was yearning to hold his strong arm and feel his steady presence beside her. She swallowed and felt her cheeks flame even brighter.

'The nearest footbridge is some half a mile away and the water does not run shallow enough to cross with any modicum of decency preserved in this section.' She told him when he did not respond, quickly looking down at the water to prevent her gaze from lingering on his broad shoulders.

'And how would you know such a thing?' He questioned, the smile in his eyes telling her that he was teasing her as he had done in London. Pleased that his taciturn mask had not reappeared with his return to Hertfordshire, she pushed away her strange physical reaction to him and conjured her usual manner.

'It is very impolitic of you to ask, sir. You wish for me to admit that I have endeavoured to cross here before, but I will do no such thing. You can see for yourself that the water here is not shallow enough for your boots to protect you, but if you do not believe me then feel free to take the risk. I am perfectly content to watch.'

'Certainly not, madam.' He responded with a small smile. 'I shall bow to your superior knowledge. It seems that we are doomed to remain six feet apart for this entire interaction.'

'Six feet, sir? We are at least seven feet apart, if not more!' Lizzy feigned outrage at his estimate.

'It is six feet four inches and not a jot more! I will swear by it.' He played along. At that moment, his horse grew tired of waiting and nudged into his arm, causing Elizabeth to laugh.

'I believe your horse is in agreement with me.' She said archly.

'Et tu, Brute?' He directed at the stallion. 'Such betrayal. I shall never ride him again.' Mr Darcy replied, shaking his head solemnly.

'Hmmm, Julius Caesar. A fitting comparison, I am sure.' Elizabeth laughed. 'Does he have a name?'

'Yes, but you must not laugh. His feelings are easily hurt.' Darcy warned her, leading her to wonder what on earth the poor horse could be called.

'I shall do my best.' She promised.

'Obsidian.' He said, quirking his brow in challenge.

'That is an… interesting choice.' Lizzy remarked, looking at the white stallion and struggling to hold in her mirth.

'Georgiana chose the name some years ago.' He said with an answering smile. 'I believe she found the contradiction ironic.'

'And you cannot deny her anything.' Lizzy observed.

'Not such a small thing, no.' Darcy replied, but his face fell and she wondered what he felt he had denied his sister in the past that could bring him such sadness.

'Are you to call at Longbourn later?' She asked, hoping to bring back his earlier lightness.

'Yes, once the rest of my party have torn themselves from the comfort of their beds.' He answered, his easy attitude returning.

'Ah, around nightfall, then?' She joked back.

'It does feel like that sometimes.' He agreed ruefully. 'Hopefully, it will still be morning, but you know by now that the rest of my party are used to town hours and do not like to rise more than an hour or two before noon.' Pausing, he looked towards the sun. 'That time is drawing closer, however. Do you have far to walk back? I confess I do not entirely remember this part of the estate, but I imagine you must be more than a mile from Longbourn.'

'Yes, I suppose about that.' Elizabeth responded. 'And I would usually take a longer route back than I took here, following the border with the Netherfield estate along for a way.'

'You walk this way regularly, then?'

'No, it is actually one of my less used paths. I would usually set out in the other direction. I suppose I might say that my favourite walk is up to Oakham mount, on quite the other side of Longbourn.' She replied honestly. 'I think, though, that I may be walking this way far more often in the future. I find it uncommonly improved from my memory.' She found herself adding.

'Indeed? I am glad. I find the view across this stream particularly pleasing.' Mr Darcy responded with a smile. For a moment Elizabeth thought he might be complementing her, but then she reminded herself that _she_ was merely tolerable. He was obviously speaking of the pretty woodland she had emerged from earlier which really was a nice view. 'If Oakham mount is your particular favourite, you shall have to do us the honour of escorting our party there during our stay. I am sure Georgiana would delight in seeing the natural beauty of Hertfordshire just as much as you would delight in showing it.'

'It would be my pleasure.' She assured him, somehow disappointed that it was his sister who he was thinking off. He did not desire her company for himself. Of course he did not! What on earth was her traitorous mind thinking of? Mr Darcy had uttered a few pretty remarks and a line from Shakespeare and suddenly she was entirely forgetting herself.

'I should let you go. I would not want you to have to rush the remainder of your walk and Bingley will not forgive me if I delay our visit.' Mr Darcy offered after a slightly awkward pause. Elizabeth cursed herself for letting her distraction show on her face. He was obviously making an effort to be amiable to her on behalf of his friend and sister. The least she could do was make an equal effort in return.

'You are correct, but I would not fear. From what I know of the rest of the party, I doubt you shall be the one to cause a delay.' She remarked, returning his smile.

'I am afraid you are not appreciating the intricacies that go into gentlemen's fashion, Miss Bennet. Perhaps I will take a particularly long time to choose the coat which best flatters my figure, or to have my cravat tied in a different style.' He responded with an eyebrow raised. Lizzy laughed at the thought of Mr Darcy and Mr Bingley fretting over their manner of dress the way that Lydia and Kitty did.

'Forgive me, sir, I can see I have made a grievous error in underestimating such choices. I wish you luck, for you know already that only those of the highest fashion are permitted entry to Longbourn.' She replied.

'Indeed. I would not risk your mother's wrath.' He said, the glint in his eyes betraying a genuine fear of the forceful matriarch.

'A wise choice. I shall look forward to viewing the attire you settle on.' She gave him a final smile before curtsying her farewell. 'Good day, Mr Darcy.'

'Miss Bennet.' He bowed with an answering smile, watching as she walked away.

When she glanced back several minutes later, she saw that he was still standing by the stream where she had left him. An invisible force seemed to pull her back towards him, but she resisted. For some reason, her view of Mr Darcy had been irreversibly changed that morning. She could not quite account for it. Yes, he had been pleasant and even jovial when she spoke with him, but he had shown that side of himself when they met in London.

Perhaps it was because for a moment when she had watched him from the trees, she had seen the real, raw young man who resided underneath the guarded gentleman she knew. One who had been orphaned too young and inherited a terrible burden of responsibility, causing him to close himself off from the world, but who she finally felt she was coming to understand.

* * *

 **'Et tu, Brute?' comes from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.**

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	29. Chapter 29

**Hello!**

 **Thanks for all the great feedback on the last chapter. I'm glad the conversation sounded natural and the humour/banter came across right. I hope that this chapter maintains that and continues to show Lizzy and Darcy growing closer (although they will be more formal with each other as they are in public).**

 **This weekend I will also be posting the first/taster chapter of a fic called Jane that I will start posting in earnest after Wilfully Misunderstood is complete, so check that out if you're interested.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Elizabeth was slow to complete her walk, deep in contemplation about her changing feelings towards Mr Darcy. As a result, Longbourn was bustling with activity by the time she returned. Anticipation of the arrival of Mr Bingley and his party that afternoon had Mrs Bennet all of a flutter and her exclamations grew increasingly wild as the morning progressed. On spying her second eldest daughter's return, she immediately pounced.

'Where have you been, you ungrateful child! Oh, my poor nerves - I was convinced you were dead in a ditch somewhere and then what would I tell Mr Bingley when he arrived? Not even fit to be seen! Look at your dress, girl, I am sure you step in the muddiest of places just to vex me.' Mrs Bennet carried on as though no one in the world was more put upon than she.

Elizabeth, used to her mother's wild tempers, merely smiled when her back was turned and exchanged a glance with Jane. The two sisters sat dutifully and listened to their mother's histrionics. They knew better than to interrupt her now. She would soon exhaust herself and perhaps by the time the Netherfield party arrived she might even be composed enough give some semblance of sensible company. The sky might also have turned green.

'Mama, I am sure there is no need to fret so. Mrs Long saw the Netherfield party pass through Meryton yesterday. Mr Bingley will arrive soon. It is barely polite calling hours yet.' Jane finally stepped in when her mother graduated to wailing that Mr Bingley's carriage must have turned over on the road from London. Mrs Bennet was a little consoled, though she continued to lament on the likelihood that some terrible tragedy would befall them all before her dear Jane could be safely married.

Concealing a laugh behind a cough at her mother's dramatics, Elizabeth excused herself to freshen up. She had considered telling them of her chance meeting with Mr Darcy but decided against it. She did not trust herself to hold back her blush when she remembered how she had watched him and in any case, the whole interaction somehow felt distinctly private. Like a treasured memory she wished to hoard only for herself. Perhaps later, when only Jane was present, she might discuss it. She could not imagine that Mr Darcy would bring it up, so it was unlikely that her concealment would be discovered.

Not half an hour later, a fine carriage drew up at Longbourn and Mr Bingley, the Hursts, Mr Darcy and his sister emerged from within. In private Jane and Elizabeth had already agreed that they would attempt to shield Georgiana from the worst of their sisters' exuberance, fearing how her shy nature would be affected by it, but as it was they needn't have worried.

Lydia kept to her room sulking, protesting the fact that she had been forced to turn down Mrs Forster's invitation to join the regiment in Brighton. Mr Bennet had finally given her the serious talking to that he had been avoiding since Mr Darcy showed him the letters, warning her that if any word of her actions spread or she behaved in such a way again then she was destined for a convent. She didn't seem to realise that her current method of protest was more a reward to her family than a punishment.

Without her influence, Kitty was far calmer. She had quickly grown tired of sulking about the militia's departure and would certainly not deny herself company over it. Secretly she was actually rather pleased that Lydia could not go away as it was dreadfully unfair that Mrs Forster had invited only her, leaving Kitty out of the invitation even though she was two years older. At least now she could enjoy the excitement of Jane's wedding preparations and revel in the new attention that her mother was giving her for some unknown reason.

Mary hardly even acknowledged that they had company, keeping her full attention on her book of sermons since her pianoforte practice was done for the day. She had no interest whatsoever in meeting another uppity lady from London, for this is what she presumed that Miss Darcy must be. Oh no, Miss Bingley's crass frivolity had shown her that there was no true Christian thought in that type of woman at all.

Having heard so many tales of the other Bennet sisters already from Jane and Elizabeth, Georgiana herself was quite prepared for the encounter with them. In fact, the bustling household, so different to the wide, empty hallways she was used to, enchanted her and she was perfectly content to observe as acquaintances old and new greeted each other.

Jane and Bingley were delighted to be reunited, though it had only been days since they saw each other last. Darcy felt their joy rather disproportionate to the short length of time that they had been apart, though privately he had been just as relieved to set eyes on Elizabeth again that morning. Unfortunately, Mrs Bennet was quite determined to throw Kitty into his path and prevented him from immediately seeking out Elizabeth's company by approaching him at the earliest opportunity.

'Mr Darcy, how wonderful it is to see you again sir! Is it not wonderful to see him again Catherine?'

'Oh, um, yes Mama, wonderful.' A bewildered Kitty stuttered, still rather daunted by the austere gentleman's presence and unsure as to what her mother wished her to say.

Not wishing to appear rude as he had done the previous autumn, but struggling to find a response, Darcy left an awkward pause before replying, 'I am sure the pleasure is all mine, madam, to be welcomed by your hospitality again, and this time to have the honour of introducing my sister to your family as well.'

A more astute woman than Mrs Bennet may have remembered that she had not been particularly hospitable at all to Darcy for the majority of the time that he had spent at Longbourn in the past. In the somewhat stilted conversation that followed a more astute woman may also have noticed that Darcy and Kitty were both rather unwilling participants, but happily, or perhaps unhappily depending upon your perspective, Mrs Bennet did not.

It eventually came about that Kitty and Georgiana, who had also become included in the group, found some common ground and began to converse more easily on the subject of drawing. Having heard of Darcy's closeness to his only sibling, Mrs Bennet counted this as a success and finally left their sides to harass Bingley instead.

Unfortunately, Elizabeth was forced to witness this series of events in its entirety and, being a more astute woman than her mother, was fully aware of all of its awkwardness. Flushed slightly with shame, it was all she could do to keep her composure when Mr Darcy approached her.

'Good day, Miss Bennet.' He bowed to her in greeting.

'Mr Darcy.' She curtseyed quickly, pleased to note that his eyes betrayed no great discomfort at her mother's behaviour. 'I trust your journey from London was not too unpleasant, sir?' She inquired, determined to prove to him that she at least was capable of sensible and polite conversation even if certain members of her family were not.

'Not at all, I assure you madam. Though I must confess that I believe a certain change in the composition of our party from last autumn accounted for much of the journey's improvement this time around.' He shared conspiratorially. Lizzy smiled, wondering if he meant to refer to the addition of his sister or the absence of Miss Bingley. Perhaps both.

'How fortuitous. I do hope that your good humour will last through the trials of your stay.' Elizabeth replied, hoping that he could infer her silent apology for her mother's behaviour from her words.

'I am certain that it will. After all, we are here for a wedding. How could the occasion not be joyous?' Georgiana and Kitty beginning to laugh at something in their own conversation at that moment as if to illustrate his point. Mr Darcy looked over at them and smiled slightly, pleased to see his sister's contentment.

'I confess I had been unsure as to how your sister and mine might get along due to their differences in temperament, but Georgiana and Kitty appear quite at ease with one another at present.' Elizabeth commented, noticing his distraction.

'Yes, it seems they have found some shared interest in drawing which is keeping them well amused.' He told her, continuing to smile fondly at his sibling.

'Kitty is fond of sketching and watercolours and has rather a knack for them. Over the last year or two she has produced many landscapes of the area that really are good. I am particularly fond of some of the scenes she captured in the autumn and am somewhat envious of her skill. Sadly she is the only one of us with any sort of natural talent in that area. I am afraid that I must admit to drawing very ill indeed.' At this Mr Darcy's attention returned to her fully and she noticed an unfamiliar mischievous glint in his eyes.

'But madam, I was led to believe that you had a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages. Can it be that you have been deceiving me all this time and you are not really an accomplished woman?'

Elizabeth smiled at this reference to their time at Netherfield and answered with her own quip. 'Quite the contrary I assure you, sir, for I can at least claim to broaden my mind through extensive reading.'

'Ah! But to all that you must add a certain something in your air madam, in your manner of walking.' Darcy continued teasingly. At that moment Georgiana had just begun to pay attention to her brother's conversation and was horrified at what she supposed to be his lack of tact.

'Brother, what can you mean?' She exclaimed, thinking it was no wonder that Elizabeth disliked him when he spoke to her so.

'I see your sister is confused, sir. Can it be that she is not aware of Miss Bingley's requirements of an accomplished woman?' Elizabeth replied, her light tone reassuring Georgiana that no offence had been given.

'Certainly not, madam, I assure you. I regularly tell my sister that she should follow Miss Bingley's example in everything if she wishes to be truly accomplished.' Darcy told her, his tone entirely serious.

Georgiana's quizzical expression on hearing this was too much for Elizabeth, who could not help but laugh as she quickly informed her young friend of the conversation they were referring too. Relieved to find that her brother had not been worsening his situation with Elizabeth even further, Georgiana soon went back to her earnest conversation with Kitty on the merits of charcoal compared to chalk as a drawing medium. This left Elizabeth and Mr Darcy to converse somewhat privately, as much as can be in a crowded parlour.

'It is fine weather. Did you walk out this morning?' Mr Darcy inquired perfectly innocently, as though he did not already know the answer.

'Why yes, I did.' Elizabeth replied with equal innocence. 'Perhaps you chose to ride this morning since the weather was so nice?'

'As it happens, I did. The excursion was most enjoyable.'

'May I say that your cravat appears to be very intricately tied? It is a most handsome design.' Elizabeth quipped, mirth sparkling in her eyes.

'Thank you. It was the work of many hours, I assure you.' He replied with such convincing gravity that Lizzy could not refrain from laughing.

'I would not expect anything less. After all, you have a reputation to maintain.' She said once her composure was regained.

Their conversation continued from there onto more serious topics and although Mr Darcy offered up no more signs of the wit he had just displayed Elizabeth was surprised to find herself enjoying his company just as much. He was an intelligent man, which she supposed she had always known although she had never fully appreciated it when she had disliked him, and he was refreshingly willing to debate with her on a wide range of topics from philosophy to cattle rearing which so many gentlemen would find it distasteful for a lady be knowledgeable about. Both were rather surprised to find that they had been speaking for over an hour when Bingley rose to say that they really must leave.

Mr Bennet had spent a large part of the day ensconced in his library, entirely missing the Netherfield party's visit, so when he did emerge for dinner he was immediately assaulted with a full account of the day from his wife. She had been satisfied by the visit in some respects, finding Mrs Hurst and Mr Bingley very pleasing and attentive, but on one account she was rather seriously vexed.

As had so often been the case since her rejection of Mr Collins in November, this vexation centred around her second eldest daughter and her new favourite quarry, Mr Darcy. Mrs Bennet was positive that all of the good progress she had managed to make in the meagre fifteen minutes of conversation which she had managed to draw from him must have been entirely undone by the inexplicably long time he had spent conversing with Lizzy and she was sure to make her displeasure known.

'Lizzy was very inconsiderate to trap Mr Darcy in conversation when we know that he certainly has no regard for _her_. Why, he was forced to spend the majority of the visit with her when he surely would have preferred to be elsewhere. Mr Bennet, the next time he calls you must be sure to take him into your library and impress him with your knowledge in whatever topics gentlemen usually speak upon. Play him at chess, for he is sure to enjoy that.' She commanded of her husband.

Unfortunately Mr Bennet found it rather more entertaining to vex his wife further than immediately submit to her whims so he replied, 'If it is a chess partner that Mr Darcy seeks, Mrs Bennet, then he would be better served by remaining in the company of Lizzy, for she bests me at least four times in five. I am sure _her_ skill would impress him far more than mine.'

'Mr Bennet!' His wife exclaimed. 'That will not do at all.'

'And as for other subjects that gentlemen usually speak on, why I rather think my Lizzy to be well versed on most of them. If he seeks advice in managing his estate then I am sure she will be able to assist him quite capably. If it is a conversation on philosophy that he requires then she is equally able. In the classics, I assure you she is as adept as is possible without the benefit of a master or university education.'

Elizabeth smiled to hear her father's praise, aware that he was trying to compensate for her mother's ongoing vendetta against her. Seeing that he had been successful in improving her spirits, Mr Bennet conceded to his wife.

'But perhaps you are right, as with many men his pride may not be able to withstand finding that a woman can best him. Have no fear, I will take your Mr Darcy and allow him to humiliate me entirely at chess, even if he proves to be the worst player I have ever faced. Such a display of hospitality should sweeten him to your ploys.'

Later, in the privacy of their room, Jane shared with Elizabeth how pleased she had been with Mrs Hurst's company. She really had been thoughtful and attentive, leading Jane to hope that their lawful sisterhood would be a happy one. Everything that could be done towards the wedding, every offer of advice or assistance, had been given and her demeanour as a whole encouraged Jane to believe that her union with Mr Bingley was truly welcomed by the older lady.

Jane inquired as to her sister's opinion on this, knowing her judgement of character where Miss Bingley was concerned to have been superior. Elizabeth was forced to admit that she had been entirely oblivious to Mrs Hurst and had not taken note of her attitude at all, though she assured Jane that her judgement on the matter was likely a sound one for she had learnt from her experience with Miss Bingley to be more astute.

Jane then innocently asked after her conversation with Mr Darcy, having noticed as her mother had the length of their exchange and been pleased to see that their early dislike of each other appeared to have passed. Elizabeth ventured a few non-committal comments on their discussion but avoided elaborating on her changing feelings towards the gentleman as she still did not understand them herself. Her traitorous cheeks, however, betrayed her façade of nonchalance for what it was with a blush. Jane noticed this but did not push her sister to explain her curious response. She was certain that Lizzy would tell her in time if anything important had occurred.

* * *

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	30. Chapter 30

**Hi!**

 **Sorry this update is coming right at the end of the weekend, it isn't actually the chapter I had originally intended to post but what I originally had for chapter 30 just wasn't really working out so I either need to rejig it a bit and use it as a later chapter or just get rid of it entirely (it's a side chapter with some developments for the plot that's going on in the background and I'm not sure it's actually necessary so...). Anyway, this chapter follows on a lot better from the last as it stays in Hertfordshire Darcy and Elizabeth. It's actually one of my favourites in the whole story. There will be a few notes at the end just about a few of the things mentioned in the chapter relating to historical accuracy if you're interested.  
**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Elizabeth glared out of the window at the storm clouds rolling overhead. The torrential rain that morning had prevented her from walking, leaving her restless and tense. More than that, she was feeling disappointed. Though she was loath to admit it even to herself, she had entertained the hope that she might meet Mr Darcy again that morning. This forced her to consider her changing feelings for the gentleman, as she had been doing for an alarming amount of time recently. The truth was, it only ever brought her to one conclusion: she admired him.

She, Elizabeth Bennet, admired Fitzwilliam Darcy, a man who she had sworn was proud and disagreeable. She admired his intellectual mind and his tender care for his sister… No, she was deceiving herself once more. It went far further than that. She admired his handsome frame and features. She admired the curve of his lips as they pulled up into the half smile she had grown accustomed to in their recent meetings. She admired the ripple of his muscular shoulders that she had seen the day before as he knelt by the stream. He discomposed her like no man ever had.

For a moment, she allowed herself to imagine a future where she became his wife. Quickly that future disintegrated as she remembered who he was. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley, ten thousand a year, grandson and nephew of an earl. Silently she cursed herself. Charlotte had planted this foolish idea in her head and she had let it grow into a hope for something that could never be. Even if it was true that for a second at some point in their acquaintance he might have looked at her with admiration, his pride (not to mention his relatives) would never allow him to consider her. One of five daughters of a penniless gentleman whose estate was entailed away.

Furiously blinking angry tears from her eyes, Elizabeth slammed her book closed. She had read it before anyway, just as she had read every last book in this house. Even the new volume that her father had purchased as a surprise to welcome her home had been devoured in the last four days while she was avoiding wedding preparations.

Was it any wonder that the rainy day infuriated her when she could not even read to distract herself? Her only solace was that the weather would likely keep the Netherfield party away, sparing her from having to face Mr Darcy's company now that she had realised the sensibility overcoming her. Perhaps the roads would flood and allow her several days to come to terms with herself.

Alas, luck was not on Elizabeth's side. As the morning turned to afternoon the storm clouds promptly vanished, leaving the roads muddy but passable. Like clockwork, Bingley's carriage rolled up the driveway not half an hour after the skies had cleared. Mrs Bennet, who had been crying despair at the bleak weather all morning, held her arms to the heavens and thanked God for being so good to them.

Unfortunately, Mrs Bennet was quick to loudly share these sentiments with their guests as soon as they entered. Elizabeth blushed in embarrassment, but Mr Bingley seemed entirely oblivious to her mother's foolishness, proclaiming that he would not have let the rain keep him from Longbourn even if it was necessary for him to swim there. It is difficult to say whether Jane Bennet's blushes were for her mother, her betrothed or both.

Mr Darcy tried to catch Elizabeth's eye during this exchange but found that she resolutely looked anywhere but him. Her expression was guarded and he could feel that her avoidance of his gaze was not accidental. It was as though a wall that he had briefly managed to lift had come crashing down between them once more, but he was clueless as to what he had done to make it fall. This time, it was Mr Bennet who caught him in conversation before he could hasten to her side.

'I recently read a very interesting book, sir. The Travels of Mirza Abu Taleb Khan in Asia, Africa and Europe. Have you heard of it?' Mr Bennet said after the initial greeting were performed.

'Yes, it has caused rather a stir in London.' Darcy replied, his interest piqued. The book was rather controversial, apparently interpreted by some as expressing rather negative views of England and the empire.

'Rather a stir indeed!' Mr Bennet grinned in a way that reminded Darcy disturbingly of his daughter. 'What do you make of it?'

'I confess I have not yet had chance to obtain a copy.' Mr Darcy admitted, somewhat perplexed as to why the older gentleman was conversing with him. They had interacted very little in the past. In fact, the only full conversation Darcy could recall between them was the very awkward encounter in which he had shared Miss Lydia's indiscretion.

'Well then, you must borrow mine while you are in the neighbourhood and we can discuss your impression of it while our family members dally with these wedding preparations.' Mr Bennet replied promptly. 'If you come with me to my library I will find it for you.'

'That is very kind, thank you.' Said Mr Darcy. He was still rather confused, but he would not turn down the opportunity to read a volume that he was genuinely interested in.

He followed Mr Bennet to his library, gazing around the room in interest while the older man searched for the volume they were discussing. Though the room was by no means large, the shelves were bursting with as many books as they could take and then some. For what he had at his disposal, Mr Bennet seemed to have managed to form a rather comprehensive collection.

'I am sure I left it here.' Mr Bennet was saying as he searched a particular shelf which housed works of a similar kind. 'It seems that it must have wandered off.'

'It is no matter if you cannot find it, sir.'

'Nonsense, I have a feeling I know exactly where it will be.' Mr Bennet strode over to the door and poked his head out. 'Hill, would you bring Lizzy to me please.'

Moments later there was a knock on the door and Elizabeth entered when her father bade her to.

'You asked for me, Papa?' She said after bobbing a quick curtsey in Mr Darcy's direction but still barely meeting his eyes.

'Yes, I presume that it is you who has sequestered away the Travels of Mirza Abu Taleb Khan in Asia, Africa and Europe, unless one of your sisters has suddenly taken an interest in intellectual pursuits. Could you fetch it for me, please?' Mr Bennet requested of his favourite daughter. Darcy was about to tell her that it was not necessary, but she was gone before he had the chance.

'When books disappear in this house they can invariably be found on Lizzy's possession. She will return with it momentarily.' Mr Bennet said, the sparkle in his eyes leading the younger man to suspect that this was all part of some ploy. Darcy nodded absently, trying to push away his disappointment at Elizabeth's attitude and presuming that he would find out what her father was up to in time. His gaze fell on a fine chess set that was set up temptingly in an alcove by the window.

'Are you fond of playing, sir?' He inquired of his host.

'Yes, rather. I believe I was even somewhat good at it at one stage, but I'm afraid I am somewhat out of practice.' Mr Bennet answered, barely suppressing his laughter at the fact that the gentleman's interests had so easily been guessed by his foolish wife. He was sure that the proud, taciturn gentleman would be excessively put out if he knew that Mrs Bennet had so easily discerned him. It was certainly something that he would laugh about with Lizzy after the Netherfield party took their leave.

'Do none of your daughters play?' Mr Darcy asked, more to avoid silence than out of genuine interest.

'Oh, aye, Jane plays adequately, but she has been from home several months and will be leaving for good soon enough. My Lizzy excels at it, of course, but I cannot play against her any longer. She knows my style far too well and I am never allowed the chance to win. No matter how much you might claim to enjoy the game, it is difficult to stomach constant defeat. And you, Mr Darcy, do you play chess regularly?'

'I certainly used to, in university. I do not get the chance as often as I might like these days, but I do try to keep my hand in.' Darcy answered as politely as he could through the sudden pain in his chest, cursing himself for his ill thought out question. Of course Elizabeth played chess. How much he would have loved to play against her. That would be another vision playing over and over again in his dreams now, never to come true.

'Well, perhaps you might honour me with a game during the course of your stay.' Mr Bennet said, managing to limit the sardonic tone in his voice to the point that he sounded almost sincere. At that moment Lizzy reappeared, the book they had been looking for in her arms. 'Ah, there you are Lizzy. Do give it to Mr Darcy, I said that he could borrow it while he is in the area.'

'I would not take it from you if you are not yet finished, madam.' Mr Darcy assured her hastily.

'No, take it, I insist. I am quite done with it.' Elizabeth held the volume out, then quickly changed her mind and placed it on a side table as if being connected to him even just through mutual contact with it might burn her. Unaware of the real reasons behind this, Mr Bennet was amused by what he saw as his daughter's continued animosity towards the man, while Mr Darcy himself hardly knew what to think.

'Thank you.' Darcy bowed his head.

'I was just telling Mr Darcy that you quite a master at chess.' Mr Bennet informed his daughter. Elizabeth blushed becomingly at this praise.

'Father is too kind to me and far exaggerates my skills. I have had rather a lucky streak in our most recent matches, but I am by no means a master of the art.' She demurred.

'I am sure you are too modest, Miss Elizabeth.' Darcy told her sincerely, hoping to silently convey his apology for whatever offence he had committed which was causing her to pull away from him.

'Yes, you are indeed, Lizzy. Come, why don't we settle the matter? You and Mr Darcy must play each other and then he will be able to judge your skill for himself.'

'Oh no, Father, I am sure Mr Darcy would rather play against you. I should return to the drawing room.'

'Nonsense, Lizzy. This false modesty is not at all like you and I am certain your mother and sisters can manage very well discussing laces and silks without your aid.' Mr Bennet happily ignored his daughter's pleas. He had no real wish to cause his dearest child pain, but was unaware of her true feelings and expected that she would really take far more enjoyment from this than from returning to the main group.

'Perhaps after you have played one another then I could play if Mr Darcy is inclined for another match.' Elizabeth conceded, hoping very much that she would be able to slip out unnoticed while the gentlemen were playing. Allowing herself to be this close to Mr Darcy after revelation hardly seemed wise. Already visions of him sitting across the board from her, his graceful fingers moving the pieces with elegant confidence, threatened to haunt her dreams.

'That will not do at all!' Mr Darcy, surprised her with his protest. 'You seek to have an unfair advantage over me. If you have observed me play against your father then you will know something of how I play, but I will still be completely in the dark as to your own style.'

'I do not!' Elizabeth responded, her colour rising at the perceived insult, too distracted by her earlier thoughts to consider before she responded. However, she quickly realised that Mr Darcy was teasing her and when she continued her annoyance was feigned. 'It is very uncharitable for you to suggest such a thing of a lady. I must insist that you withdraw your accusation at once, else I shall have the chess board removed and then no one will be able to play.'

'Very well, very well, I desist. It was very wrong of me to think you capable of such a ploy.' He conceded with the little half smile she had grown so fond of. The gentleman was glad that he seemed to have coaxed Elizabeth back into their previous rapport while the lady was rapidly forgetting her resolution to leave.

'It seems we must obey the lady, sir, else risk her wrath.' Mr Bennet said merrily. 'Choose your side.'

With that, the gentlemen sat down to play. At first Elizabeth picked up a volume of poetry and pretended to read, but despite herself she soon discarded it in favour of observing the match. Mr Bennet was rather an adept player, but it soon became clear that Darcy was experienced as well and when the younger gentleman eventually triumphed it was not because of Mr Bennet's promise to his wife the previous evening to let him win.

'You have now had ample opportunity to observe my play, madam. I do believe I have earnt the right to face you.' Mr Darcy said to Elizabeth, his eyebrow raised.

'So you have, sir.' She replied with a bow of her head.

As he began to rearrange the board she gazed down at it in determination. Sudden admiration or not, she could face Mr Darcy with equanimity like the grown woman she was. That morning she had forgotten herself and reacted like one of her younger siblings, as though she could not conduct herself in his presence simply because she had realised he was handsome and agreeable. She would not let that affect her any longer. She would certainly not lose a game of chess over it!

'Will you move first or second?' He asked her when he had finished returning the pieces to their starting positions. She smirked. Though she had no particular preference, she strongly suspected that he favoured moving second as this is what he had chosen when facing her father. It fit what she knew of his careful nature, preferring to let his opponent move first and retaliate accordingly.

'I always move second, sir.' She informed him with a sparkle in her eye, ignoring her father's amusement at the blatant mistruth. The gentleman nodded his consent, failing to completely mask his displeasure at her choice. Elizabeth's smile grew as she took the chair her father had just vacated and she could not resist poking him further. 'You move first, Mr Darcy.'

'Did you enjoy reading of Khan's travels, Miss Elizabeth?' Darcy inquired after a few moves. She was somewhat surprised that he was attempting conversation as the previous game had passed mostly in silence. Contemplating how to answer, she carefully moved a piece.

'It is very underhand of you to attempt to distract me with conversation. As you did not employ such a technique against my father, am I to assume that you are fearful of losing or do you merely believe that as a woman I will be more susceptible to such a ploy?'

'Quite the contrary, I assure you. It has been my experience that woman are far less susceptible to distraction than men.' Mr Darcy responded, moving a piece. 'I do not believe I am the one guilty of employing underhand techniques. If I recall, it was you who observed my game before partnering me and then lied about your preference for moving second because you discerned that this was my preference.'

'You are very quick to call me dishonest, sir.' Elizabeth said, her smile betraying the truth of his accusation. 'First in front of your cousin and now in front of my own father. Are you so determined to discredit me?'

'You twist my words, madam, and you have still not answered my initial question.' Darcy answered.

'Yes, I had been rather hoping you would forget that.' Elizabeth told him as she took one of his Bishops.

'May I ask why?' He questioned, taking one of her rooks in return.

'You may certainly ask, but I may choose not to answer.'

'I see. What is so objectionable about your answer that you may refuse to give it?' Darcy asked carefully, amusement clear in his eyes. His attention was barely on the game now.

'I suspect that it will lead to further accusations of dishonesty.'

'If you tell me, I will attempt to avoid levelling such accusations.'

'Very well. If I tell you my own view of the volume, I suspect that you will be determined to think quite the opposite. I would rather hear your true opinion than one designed to provoke me into disagreeing for your own enjoyment.'

'Hmmm. I see now why you thought I would take exception to your answer, but in this case I concede there may be some truth in your statement. Perhaps, on occasion, I am also given to expressing opinions which are not entirely my own. I will alter my question. Would you hope to see more of the world one day? To travel to different countries?'

'If I answer that I would be content to remain in England all my life you will accuse me of being tedious and uncultured, but if I profess my wish to travel far and wide you will despise me for being dissatisfied with what our own country has to offer.'

'Are you so determined to speak in riddles and half-truths that I will never hear a true answer from you?'

'I believe it is your move, sir.' She looked back up at him, eyes sparkling. Seeing that it was indeed, he quickly moved a rook.

'Well?' He pushed her to answer, but her attention was on the board.

'Checkmate.' Elizabeth flashed a satisfied smile at him. Looking down, Darcy saw that she was correct.

'It seems you have quite undone me, madam. I am thoroughly bested.' He conceded, finding that defeat by her fair hand did not upset him at all.

'Perhaps you may have better luck next time. I do not believe that our game held your full attention.' Smiling at the thought that she expected there to be a next time, Darcy assured her that his attention had been exactly where he intended it to be and was rewarded with a vibrant blush.

'Darcy, there you are. I was wondering where you could have got to.' Coming closer, he observed the chess board which was in such a disarray after the game that it was impossible to tell which side the winner sat on. 'Ah, do not be disheartened, Miss Elizabeth. I have long since learnt that Darcy cannot be beaten at chess.'

'I am afraid you quite misinterpret the situation, Bingley. It is Miss Elizabeth who had defeated me.' Darcy quickly corrected his friend.

'But you may rest assured, young man, that Darcy defeated me first for the honour of playing against my daughter. His pride has not been entirely forfeited.' Mr Bennet added, surprising Darcy and Elizabeth somewhat. They had both forgotten his presence at some stage in their conversation.

It was soon revealed that Bingley had been looking for Darcy because it was time for them to depart, so they returned to the drawing room to say their farewells. Mrs Bennet was delighted that her husband had acted on her instructions for once and entertained Mr Darcy with books and chess.

'But where was Elizabeth?' She questioned at one point, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.

'I asked Lizzy to go out and speak with to Mr Kettering about the issues he has been having with the drainage on the east fields so that I could entertain Mr Darcy. I had thought that was what you wanted, Mrs Bennet, but if I was mistaken –'

'Oh, no, no, you were quite right my dear. I only hope you did not let Mr Darcy know that Lizzy was about the drains. That is quite five times worse than the Lucas girls being about the kitchens.' Mrs Bennet was quick to respond.

'Mr Darcy was quite unaware, I assure you, my dear.' Mr Bennet said with a twinkle in his eyes as Lizzy and Kitty sniggered into their handkerchiefs and Jane was overcome by a sudden need to cough.

'Oh, Jane dear, I do hope you aren't coming down with something. If anything were to befall you before the wedding…' Their mother fussed.

'Yes Jane, I do hope you aren't unwell. Mr Kettering said two of his daughters had terrible coughs while I was about the drains.' Lizzy said, her voice wavering with suppressed mirth. Mr Kettering, of course, did not have any daughters, but that was not the type of detail that Mrs Bennet would recall. Jane narrowed her eyes at her mutinous sister but managed to swallow down her laughter and sweetly assure her mother that she was fine.

After this, Mr Bennet quickly escaped to his study to contemplate important matters. He was amazed by what he had observed that afternoon. He had invited Mr Darcy into the library knowing full well that the book they were discussing was in Lizzy's possession and hoping to be entertained by the battle of wills that usually sprung up between those two. The last thing he had expected to find was that the reserved gentleman seemed to have rather an interest in his second daughter, and even more of a surprise was that she did not seem entirely unreceptive to his attention.

Laughing to himself, he decided it was high time that he had a bit of amusement. Pulling out a blank sheet of parchment, he tapped his chin in contemplation. Letter writing was not an activity he usually enjoyed, but this would not merely be a letter. Oh no, this would be a masterpiece. With a smirk to rival Lizzy's finest, he began to write. _Dear Mr Collins…_

* * *

 **White/red moves first was not really used as a rule in chess until 1860 or so which is why I simply have Elizabeth choose to move second rather than talking about the colours.**

 **Travels of Mirza Abu Taleb Khan in Asia, Africa and Europe is a real book, the first English translation of which was published in 1810 (a few years after it was written) and it was controversial but also widely read so I think its feasible that Mr Bennet would have it and that Mr Darcy would have heard of it. It's still on a lot of university reading lists today for history or anthropology courses.**

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	31. Chapter 31

**Hello!**

 **I have no idea how this chapter has ended up taking me so long to post. I think maybe my brain is rebelling against the thought that this fic might soon be over and I'm beginning to focus on every single detail that I don't like in every chapter. Anyway, I finally got there and I will be uploading chapters tomorrow and the day after too as I am away next week.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The next day dawned bright and clear if a little cold. This came as a great relief to Darcy who wished for a proper ride after being cooped up the previous morning. He also entertained the hope of encountering Elizabeth again where they had met two days before. Considering their most recent interactions, he could not help but to hope that he may soon have a chance to secure her affections.

Despite the uncertain start the day before, her behaviour during their chess match seemed to show that she was warming to him. He had even made her blush! Though he was wary of rushing and proving as badly mistaken as he had been at Rosings, he was sure that her response to his attentions was not imagined this time.

He was disappointed to reach the park boundary and see no sign of Miss Elizabeth on the Longbourn side. He dismounted and led his horse to the water to drink. It could do no harm to wait a few minutes and see if she came by. If she did not pass in the next half an hour then he would leave and try not to take it to heart. After all, she had warned him that she rarely came this way and any reason he had to believe she would come for the same reason he had was most likely imagined.

'Enjoying the fine view again, Mr Darcy?' A voice called from nearby, causing him to turn quickly.

'Miss Elizabeth!' He could not suppress the smile that came to his face when he saw her. Rather than appearing across the stream as he had expected, she was on the Netherfield side. The private hope flared up that she had taken the extra effort to walk down to the footbridge so that she might be closer to him.

'It seems I am to startle you every time we meet. As you can see, we are not separated this morning.' Lizzy remarked.

'Ah, yes,' Darcy said with feigned surprise, 'I do believe this is the Netherfield estate. Must I report you to Bingley for trespassing, madam? Tell me, are you also guilty of poaching on Netherfield land?'

'It is your word against mine, Mr Darcy, and I have known the magistrate since I was but a young girl.' She replied with a grin.

'In that case, he will definitely believe me. He will not doubt that you would take up such an activity.' Darcy teased, causing Elizabeth to laugh heartily.

'You are probably right. Alas, I seem to have neglected to bring my rifle today. I shall have to content myself with your company instead.'

'Is that so very great a hardship?' He asked, rather more seriously than he had intended too.

'That remains to be seen.' Came her answer, although the familiar sparkle in her eyes let him know that his company was truly welcome.

'As I said yesterday, you never give a straight answer.'

'Perhaps not. Speaking of yesterday, there was a strange gentleman in my father's library hoping to borrow a book but when he left he quite forgot to take the volume with him. Since it is clearly of no value to him, I brought it with me today to toss in the stream.' She replied mischievously, showing him the book she had been cradling in her arms which was the one Mr Bennet had offered to lend Darcy the day before.

'I see.' Darcy humoured her antics, feeling a surge of delight at this confirmation that she had set out expecting to meet him this morning. 'Tell me more about this strange gentleman.'

'He was extraordinarily tall,' Elizabeth said, looking her companion up and down with a grin, 'he had to bend to fit into the library without knocking his head.'

'How peculiar,' Darcy remarked, 'please do go on.'

'Rude, as well. He accused me straight up of being a liar and a cheat.' She feigned hurt.

'Shocking. What terrible manners. I do hope your feelings are recovered from such vicious, unwarranted accusations.' He soothed. 'What else?'

'Hmmm, I do not remember much more. It was such a distressing situation, you understand. I do recall that he was exceptionally bad at chess, though.' She teased.

'Tall, ill-mannered and bad at chess, you say? Well, I know of only one man in the area who fits such a description. It must have been Bingley. Entrust the volume to me and I will see that it is passed on to him.' Darcy told her, a smile in his eyes.

'Mr Bingley! Of course, I should have realised sooner.' Elizabeth laughed, holding the large book out to him. Taking it from her with thanks, Darcy tucked it into his saddlebag.

'A saddlebag, sir? Are you running away?' Elizabeth asked in amusement.

'Not at all.' He showed her another volume that he was carrying. 'I find that it can be difficult to read when Bingley is in residence. Sometimes I am forced to seek a quiet spot in nature where I cannot be found.'

'Ah, so you _are_ running away, in a fashion.' She pointed out.

'In a fashion.' He conceded. Smiling, he pulled a slice of apple out and offered it to his horse.

'And who is this today?' Elizabeth asked, looking at the dappled stallion.

'The stable hands call him Patience since he is such a calm old fellow. He is one of Bingley's. I thought he would be grateful for the exercise since his master is so preoccupied that he has barely seen more than the paddock fields this sennight.' Darcy replied, patting the horse fondly. He quickly buckled the saddle bag and turned to offer Elizabeth his arm. Smiling, she slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow, noting in fascination that rather than leading the horse he simply clicked his tongue and the stallion followed them.

'Are you not worried that he will run away?' She questioned.

'Not particularly,' Darcy answered, 'he will only return to Netherfield if he does. I would not behave so in a town, but there is little to startle him out here. If I was not in such an easy walking distance of the hall I would be more careful.' Elizabeth nodded in acceptance and they walked in silence for a time, each appreciating the beauty of the late spring day which was quickly becoming warmer now that the sun was out.

'Will you be calling at Longbourn today?' Lizzy asked, hoping that the answer would be positive and that they might be able to repeat their chess match or discuss his initial impressions of Khan's travels if he began to read the volume before then.

'I believe there would be little use since my sister tells me that the residents of Longbourn will be calling at Netherfield. Will you not be one of the party?'

Elizabeth blushed. She had hardly listened as Jane spoke to her the night before, distracted by her thoughts of Mr Darcy. She had not even informed her sister of her true whereabouts during the visit that day, never mind of her complicated feelings towards him. She certainly had not noticed if Jane had told her they were to call at Netherfield that afternoon.

The thought made her somewhat sad. In only a few short weeks' time, the journey to Netherfield would be to visit Jane in her new life as Mrs Bingley. Lizzy resolved to save her personal thoughts for later in the night in future so that she could properly appreciate the remaining evenings spent with her sister.

'Miss Elizabeth?' Darcy prompted when she was silent for too long without answering him.

'Forgive me, I am not sure. It remains to be seen if I am welcome.' She replied to his question, shaking herself back to the present. Jane would desire her presence, but her mother may not.

'Oh?' He prompted.

'It seems I have a talent for getting in the way of my mother's plans. She may wish to keep me as far away from Netherfield as possible.' Elizabeth told him, wondering if she was sharing too much.

'It would be very cruel of her to deprive us of your company.' Darcy opined with a slight frown.

'A gallant sentiment, sir, but I do not believe many would see it as a deprivation. My mother certainly would not. More a mercy, perhaps.' Elizabeth responded, trying to curb the irritation which speaking of her mother so often brought her.

'I cannot see why. None who had experienced your company and conversation could think it anything other than a pleasure.' He assured her, determined that his beloved should not labour under false conceptions created by her mother.

'Honestly?' She questioned with disbelief, but she saw from his expression that he was sincere. Having a sympathetic audience, her pent up frustration overflowed. 'My mother believes me far too impertinent for polite company. I cannot speak to Mr Bingley because I might somehow dissuade him from marrying Jane, I cannot speak to Mrs Hurst for the same reason, I cannot speak to Georgiana as my impertinence will surely offend her delicate sensibilities and I cannot speak to you because you are supposed to-' Elizabeth stopped herself quickly, embarrassed that she had almost revealed the extent of her mother's machinations. She had become lost in her own bitter feelings and forgotten that it was not Jane she was speaking to.

Glancing up at Mr Darcy, whose expression had returned to its usual inscrutable mask, Lizzy tried to judge how badly she had offended him with her complaints. The man himself was trying to prevent the string of profanities which he longed to curse Mrs Bennet with for saying such things about her second daughter. Knowing that such words would hardly be welcome to Elizabeth despite the truth of them, he held himself back.

'I do not believe you could not offend Georgiana if you tried and if Bingley could be so easily swayed then he would not be worth having.' He settled for after a few steadying breaths. 'Now, what is it that I am supposed to do which your talking to me will ruin?'

'Please do not ask.' Elizabeth begged of him. 'It is shameful and I would not have you think any more poorly of my family than you already must.'

'I do not think poorly of your family,' Darcy assured her, surprised to find that it was true, 'and you have spent enough time with my Aunt Catherine to know my own family contains those who I am less proud of than others. If you do not hold her behaviour against me then I will endeavour not to hold your mother's opinions against you.' Elizabeth looked at him in consideration. At the very least she felt that there now existed between them a friendship of mutual respect, and she had the overwhelming desire to be honest with him.

'My mother believes that she can somehow persuade you into marriage with Kitty. After the Colonel's visit to Hertfordshire, she apparently became convinced that you had a fancy for Jane. She was most put out to find that Bingley and Jane were engaged, but hopes to catch you as a son-in-law anyway.' There it was. Even if there had been a chance before that he would consider her, surely he would not bear having such a mother-in-law. Darcy surprised her and perhaps himself with a deep laugh.

'Merely hoping I will marry her daughter is hardly an offence worthy of hanging. It is mercenary, but the same hope is held by half the mothers in the ton. If she has not yet attempted to arrange a compromise then she has the moral high ground over several of my acquaintance. I only hope Miss Catherine will not be disappointed. My intentions are inclined elsewhere.' Though he had loathed the attention his fortune drew ever since his entrance into society, Darcy found that it really no longer bothered him so much now that he hoped to soon be off the marriage market. If Mrs Bennet felt triumph at having 'caught' him, the discomfort of that could hardly rival the lifetime of joy which marriage to Elizabeth would bring.

'Ah yes. To Miss de Bourgh.' Lizzy said after her surprise and relief at his calm reaction had faded. She did not know why she was needling him on a topic that would only bring her pain, but her traitorous tongue seemed to run away with itself.

'My intentions towards my cousin are no different from my intentions towards your sister: non-existent. That is another case where it is purely the wish of a mother and it is no less mercenary for the only reason Lady Catherine wishes it is my fortune and estate. She always was jealous that her younger sister secured a larger estate than she did and a son to pass it on to.' Darcy clarified. Jealous. Could it be possible that Elizabeth was jealous of his supposed engagement to his cousin? No, he swept the ridiculous notion from his mind and reminded himself that he had yet to secure any actual sign of affection from her beyond the respect afforded to a friend.

'But Miss de Bourgh has far more to offer you in return. Far more than most women ever could.' Elizabeth pressed. Now that she had ventured into this territory and the gentleman did not seem offended she could not seem to stop herself.

'I would not say that. She could offer me money and an estate which are two things that I already have. I would hope for my marriage to be something more than a mere business arrangement. I would very much like to marry for love.' Darcy could not help gazing intently at Elizabeth as he said this. Ruefully, he thought how much his attitude had changed in the six or seven months that he had known her. Once, he had thought that matrimony was all about duty, but she had opened his eyes to the truth.

Elizabeth bit her lip and looked away. Would Mr Darcy be so familiar with her if he did not share her affections? The sentiments he had just shared seemed so private, but could he really mean them, and were they intended for her or was she merely a trusted friend in whom he could confide?

Seeing her uncertainty, Mr Darcy cursed himself. He had clearly gone further than she was comfortable with and she was not yet ready to receive his addresses. The silence that hung between them now felt heavy and awkward. He could only feel relieved when he saw the footbridge leading back to Longbourn land up ahead.

With a somewhat forced lightness, the couple said their farewells and parted ways, each uncertain as to where they stood with the other. Elizabeth began to allow herself to hope that Charlotte had been correct all along and that her newfound affection for Mr Darcy could lead to a happy outcome. Mr Darcy, meanwhile, reminded himself to be patient and hoped that he was not merely pushing Elizabeth further out of reach.

* * *

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	32. Chapter 32

**Hi!**

 **This is the first of two chapters coming tonight to repay my chapter debt from the weekends I didn't upload, but then the next one will come on Sunday 14th as that will be the next time I have access to my computer and the internet. Thanks to everyone who is supporting this story with reviews/follows/favourites.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Mr Bennet watched from the window of his study as Lizzy returned from her morning walk, smiling as he noted that the heavy volume she had taken out with her was nowhere to be seen. So, it appeared that his suspicions had been correct. Rubbing his hands together with childlike glee he prepared to have a little sport at the expense of his favourite daughter.

'Lizzy!' He exclaimed, emerging into the hallway as he heard her enter. 'How was your walk, my child?'

'Good morning, Papa.' She said, smiling at him as she removed her shawl. 'It was very pleasant, thank you.'

'I am glad to hear it. I don't suppose you know where the Travels of Mirza Abu Taleb Khan in Asia, Africa and Europe has disappeared to?' He asked. Lizzy tensed almost imperceptibly, but her facial expression did not change.

'You gave it to Mr Darcy yesterday Papa, remember?' She said lightly.

'Yes, yes, but I could have sworn I saw it in the library yesterday evening. I distinctly remember thinking what a shame it was that Mr Darcy had forgotten to take it. I meant to ask you to take it to Netherfield this afternoon for him.' Mr Bennet pressed. With an air of nonchalance so well perfected that it made him proud, Lizzy waved her hand dismissively.

'I have not seen it, Papa. Perhaps you were mistaken and Mr Darcy did take it after all.' Her performance was so commendable that if he had not seen her leaving earlier he might have believed it.

'But I could have sworn… ah well, I'm afraid I am becoming old and senile, my dear little Lizzy.' He bumbled, turning away and seeing her let out a relieved breath from the corner of his eye as he let it go.

'I am sure you are not. You probably just confused it with another book that looked similar in poor light. Such a thing is easily done.' Elizabeth reassured, a hint of guilt creeping into her voice at having persuaded him that he was mistaken.

'Ah! So you think I am losing my eyesight too, do you?' He exclaimed with mock indignation.

'And your hair and all.' She teased back, laughing.

'Impertinent child! Go and bother your mother and sisters instead of me.' He responded, but laughed along with her.

'Yes, Papa.' Lizzy replied with feigned penitence, turning to go into the drawing room. Rather than retreating to his study again, Mr Bennet followed her, trying not to think how much he would miss her after her marriage.

'What time are we expected at Netherfield?' Elizabeth enquired when she had seated herself near Jane.

'In about-' Jane began to reply but was quickly interrupted by their mother.

'I hope you do not expect to be one of the party, Miss Lizzy. I am sure you are of far more use here with your father.' Mrs Bennet proclaimed with her eyes narrowed at her troublesome second child.

'Not at all, I assure you, madam. I have no need of Lizzy today.' Mr Bennet remarked. 'I do, however, require Kitty's attendance to a matter of the utmost importance, so I hope you do not plan to take her with you.'

'Wha- Bu-' Mrs Bennet spluttered. She was furious to have her plans usurped. Kitty, on the other hand, was thrilled as she had never in her life received such attention from her father. Seeing her chance while her mother was incoherent, Jane interjected.

'I simply must have Lizzy with me, Mama. I absolutely promised Miss Darcy that Elizabeth would be one of the party so that they could practice duets together as they planned to in London. We cannot disappoint her.' She insisted. Unable to contradict her husband and unwilling to deny her most handsome daughter, Mrs Bennet was forced to concede.

Mary had happily refused to join to the calling party and after a warning glare from her father Lydia also excused herself from the visit, so the carriage that rolled up to Netherfield not half an hour later contained only Jane, Lizzy and their mother. Lizzy played absently with the sleeve of the simple day dress she had changed into, determinedly ignoring Mrs Bennet's glares. When they dismounted from the carriage, Elizabeth could just make out Mr Darcy standing in one of the windows above. Catching his eye, she fancied that she saw him smirk and bow his head to her.

They were shown inside and to the parlour promptly, where all the current residents of Netherfield awaited them. Jane and Bingley were drawn together immediately as ever, while Mrs Bennet loitered beside them and spoke loudly of wedding preparations to, or perhaps more at, Mrs Hurst. That lady, to her credit, did a remarkable job of looking interested by what Mrs Bennet had to say. Having been assured by Jane that Miss Darcy really did want to look at duets with her, Elizabeth moved towards the young woman and followed her over to the pianoforte where a pile of sheet music awaited.

Mr Hurst, who Elizabeth had long since become accustomed to lying drunken on the couch, showed no signs of inebriation and had greeted them all politely before returning to letters of business which he was attending in the corner. Mr Darcy had also offered polite greetings before returning to the volume about Khan's travels, but he moved to sit close to his sister and Miss Elizabeth. Elizabeth caught his eye and smiled at him, looking forward to hearing his opinions about it at a later date.

At first Lizzy and Georgiana simply looked through the music, practising small sections that looked complicated and talking through the style and ornamentation. Mr Darcy was content, the sounds of his sister and his beloved enjoying each other's company soothing him as he read. When they began to practice the piece in earnest he could not help glancing up regularly to watch them and he soon discarded his book in favour of admiring the pleasant scene. Elizabeth took notice as he set the volume aside and she raised an eyebrow.

'Do you mean to intimidate us, Mr Darcy, by making such a point of listening to us?' She asked, echoing a line she had once spoken to him at Rosings.

'You seem constantly surprised when I listen to your performance, Miss Elizabeth, but is not the point of music to be heard?' He responded with a smile.

'To be sure when one is performing it is supposed to be heard, but we are merely practising. You will hear every wrong note and think me inept, but I cannot be expected to play perfectly a piece that I have never seen before.' Elizabeth complained.

'I would not worry. Fitzwilliam has no ear for music. He will hear me fudge and slur my way through a piece so poorly that I am forced to stop halfway through and congratulate me on playing so well.' Georgiana interjected with mischief dancing in her eyes.

'I do apologise, sister. I will be sure to tell you regularly how unpleasant I find your playing in future. Obviously receiving too many complements has gone to your head.' Darcy replied, astonished and pleased to see how she had grown in confidence. As he spoke he moved to stand beside her, tapping her shoulder affectionately to confirm that he spoke in jest.

Coming to a pause in her line, Georgiana brushed her hand over his and beamed up at him, giggling as Lizzy hit a wrong note and diverged completely from what was written for two bars. As promised, Fitzwilliam was oblivious to the mistake and gave his sister a questioning look, but she just shook her head as she placed her fingers back on the keys and prepared for her part to come in.

Meanwhile, Mr Bennet had ushered his second youngest daughter into his study and sat considering her across his desk. Under her father's scrutiny, Kitty sat up straight and folded her hands demurely in her lap as she had seen her eldest sister do.

'Now Kitty, do you know why I wished to speak to you today?' Mr Bennet asked at length.

'No, sir.' She answered concisely, scared to speak further and risk spouting 'silly nonsense' as he had so often called it.

'Your two eldest sisters are drawing close to marriage.' He stated.

'Elizabeth too?' Kitty asked in surprise.

'I believe so.' Was all the answer Mr Bennet gave, wondering if she had observed enough to guess the object of Lizzy's attention.

'Who – oh, Mr Darcy?' Kitty realised. She had noticed that the two seemed to be drawn to each other every time they were in company and that Lizzy had been distracted since her return to Longbourn, though it confused her as she had been convinced that her sister despised him.

'Yes, good girl.' Mr Bennet praised, pleased that she was more aware than he had expected. 'With such changes taking place, a choice lies ahead of you. If you continue as you are, a shadow to Lydia, then you will go through life being thought of as a silly and ignorant girl. Men may flirt with you and one may even be convinced by your flattery and pretty face to make you his wife, but every year you will see your sisters and be jealous that their husbands love and respect them while yours merely tolerates your presence. Is that what you want?'

'No, Papa.' Kitty whispered, determined the tears that had formed at these harsh words would not be allowed to fall in front of her father. Instead, she focused on the positive. He had never offered her such praise before and she longed to have it again. Perhaps he was about to offer her a chance to secure it.

'Good, I am glad to hear it.' Mr Bennet said. 'Now, I am about to tell you something, but it is of the utmost importance that you keep it to yourself. Your mother does not know and nor do your sisters.'

'Not even Lizzy?' Kitty asked incredulously.

'Not even Lizzy.' He confirmed.

'You can trust me, Papa. I will tell no one.' She said, filled with pride that she would be entrusted with something so important.

'You remember all that took place surrounding Mr Wickham?' Mr Bennet checked. At his daughter's nod, he carried on. 'When Mr Bingley came to Longbourn to ask for your sister's hand in marriage, Mr Darcy also came to speak with me. He gave me these.' Mr Bennet withdrew the letters written by his youngest daughter and placed them on the desk. 'They are messages sent by Lydia to Mr Wickham.' Kitty gasped. For a moment she was hurt that Lydia had been having such an adventure and never told her, but then the full gravity of the situation hit her.

'If this got out we would all be ruined!' She exclaimed in horror, wondering how Lydia could have been so foolish and thoughtless.

'Yes. Lydia's reputation, at the least, would be impossible to salvage and all of us would be tarnished by connection.' He confirmed gravely. 'I do not tell you this scare you. There is no reason to believe that the existence of these letters will become general knowledge. However, I hope this has proven to you that Lydia's is not a good example to follow. If you put your mind to it, you have the potential to be as good as Jane and as intelligent as Lizzy, but only if you agree to apply yourself to it.'

'I do, Papa. I do.' Kitty responded quickly. Already, spending time with Miss Darcy had shown her how lacking in some areas she was and if this was a way to earn her father's approval then she would embrace it.

'Good.' Mr Bennet smirked in satisfaction. Perhaps being a father was not so very hard after all. From his desk, he pulled an old chess set, less ornate than the one in the library but just as well loved. 'Let us consider this your first lesson then. Now, this game is not just about pieces on a board, my child. It is about strategy and people. If you study it well then soon you will have a far greater understanding of the world than most.'

Later that evening, Kitty could be seen reading Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, which her father had given her as she left his study that morning to begin her literary education. If this did not shock Elizabeth enough, then the effect was complete when Lydia ordered Kitty to practice dancing with her and received a flat refusal along with a disapproving look. Taken aback, she approached her younger sister when a puzzled look came across her face and offered her assistance. Lizzy quickly explained the passage Kitty was struggling with and was surprised to find a receptive audience. She even offered a few astonishingly insightful opinions of her own. Mr Bennet observed this and smiled. Rome was not built in a day, but he had definitely laid the foundations.

* * *

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	33. Chapter 33

At the Hunsford parsonage in Kent the next morning, Charlotte was pleased to find a letter from Lizzy waiting for her. It was the first correspondence she had received from her friend since she departed for London and Charlotte was eager to hear about the preparations for Jane's wedding as well as any encounters she may have had with a certain gentleman. Supposing that the household could survive half an hour longer that morning without her instruction, she went immediately to her favourite parlour and began to read.

 _Dear Charlotte,_  
 _Forgive me for being such a lax correspondent of recent times, but I'm sure you can imagine how hectic things have become since I left your company. Am I self-centred to expect that you eagerly await my account of all that has happened since I left you? No matter – I intend to relate it in full whether to satisfy your curiosity or merely that I might gratify myself a fine friend for having done so._

 _I arrived at Gracechurch street to veritable chaos, for as I'm sure you can imagine Mama's instructions to poor Jane were quite preposterous and though Aunt Gardiner told her this she was fretting endlessly over letting Mama down. Thankfully, with the somewhat surprising assistance of Mrs Hurst, we were able to determine what it was actually necessary to obtain to plan a wedding befitting of the future Mrs Bingley. We have visited more shops than I knew existed, admired enough lace to fill the entirety of Rosings Park and indulged in quite enough cake in between to sate even my appetite for it._

 _You shall have to forgive me for departing from chronology here, but I believe I shall write that which comes easiest first and leave what I find hardest to put into words (though it may be what you wish to hear of the most) until last. I soon made the acquaintance of Miss Darcy and could find no fault in Jane's conclusion that she is quite delightful. She is rather a shy creature, as you have heard before, but underneath this she shows a keen humour and I have every expectation that she will develop the confidence to go with it in time. Though we stayed only a week in London, by the end of it we were firm friends and I was even audience to her famed performance on the pianoforte which was every bit as proficient as we have been told._

 _From Miss Bingley's company I was happily spared for the most part, as I arrived in town to find that she had already quite disgraced herself. Apparently, her behaviour towards both Jane and her own family had become increasingly outrageous, to the point where even Mr Bingley's patience snapped. As punishment she was confined to her quarters and plans were made for her to travel north where they have an aunt in Huddersfield who will take her in._

 _This was not the full extent of her disgrace, though. A few nights before we left we were invited to dine at Darcy house. Though she had not been invited, Miss Bingley made a surprise appearance as dessert was being served and caused rather a scene. Poor Mr Bingley was mortified and could not stop apologising, but she was dealt with quickly and the only person who really suffered from her actions, in the end, was Miss Bingley herself._

 _As for Mrs Hurst, who I had previously supposed to be cut from the same cloth as her sister, with Miss Bingley's poisonous influence removed she was actually rather pleasant to be around. I could not help but draw comparisons to Lydia and Kitty, for Kitty is quite capable of being completely sensible but loses her head completely whenever Lydia suggests any foolish plan._

 _Anyway, though Mrs Hurst and I still share little of the same interests it was comforting to see the efforts she made on Jane's behalf. I am now inclined to believe that she will at least gain one tolerable sister through her marriage. There, I have recognised my mistaken judgement on at least one account Charlotte, so you must be proud of me. I feel quite a changed woman._

 _But I suppose I can no longer avoid the subject I believe you most wish to hear about. Yes, I was much in company with that gentleman and yes, upon closer acquaintance I have come to accept the wisdom of much of your judgement. Whether your suspicions on his account were entirely correct I still cannot tell, but I begin to believe that perhaps they may be. My feelings on this – well, in all honesty, I can hardly understand what I feel. I certainly do not feel as I did when last we spoke._

 _I will admit, dear Charlotte, that he makes me feel as I have never felt before. Whether that is enough... well, when the wedding has taken place and I have more time to think on it then maybe everything will become clear. I used to be so sure of myself, but now I barely trust my own judgement._

 _I presume that you have had the news of the Wickham affair already from your mother, so I shall not repeat it here but am prepared to fully recognise that you told me so. I do not begrudge you your superior judgement for I have long suspected you to be the wiser of us. I fully intend to put my foolishness in that matter quite behind me and think on the past only as it gives me pleasure._

 _We have been back at Longbourn for several days now and it is much as it ever has been. Lydia and Kitty are thrilled at the thought of a wedding but their efforts towards it tend to hinder more than they help. At least the excitement has distracted them somewhat from their loss at the going away of the regiment and thankfully necessitated the refusal on Lydia's part of Mrs Forster's invitation to be her guest in Brighton for the summer. She is, of course, very vocal in her protests that she could quite easily have gone with the regiment and returned in time for the big event but my father is unswayed by these protests and my mother is quite oblivious to anything outside of her preparations._

 _This is rather hard on her as Lydia is used to having Mama's attention and support in her complaints at least, but I for one am glad of it. I daren't even imagine what might have taken place if she was let loose in a whole camp full of soldiers. Knowing the lack of restraint she displays regularly even when we are present to scold her for it, it makes me shudder to think of the impropriety she might display when out of our sight._

 _Mary is also pleased that Lydia cannot go to Brighton, informing her that it would be far preferable to engage in more proper and enriching activities such as the reading of Fordyce's sermons, and regularly expounds to us all on what a grave misfortune it is that so many young ladies choose to spend their time gallivanting after soldiers. She disapproves of the wedding preparations as well, bemoaning all of the finery and pomp involved. She is quite adamant that a ceremony in the eyes of the lord should be simple and restrained and practices the pianoforte constantly as loudly as she can to show her protest. I have not yet had the heart (or reached the level of vexation) to tell her that I think she is getting worse rather than improving, but if she does not stop soon then I am afraid I won't be able to restrain myself any longer._

 _Mama, as I am sure you can imagine, is in fits of nerves over the wedding. She is quite certain that I must be to blame for anything that has been done outside of her explicit instructions and of course she is completely correct on that count, for I have ensured that all will be done to Jane's liking which does not line up with Mama's plans at all. Any time that she does not spend on wedding planning she naturally devotes to reminding me that I am a disappointment as a daughter. She regularly bemoans the fact that I did not catch a husband while I was away from home, pointing me towards Jane's superior example, but I find I can face this with equanimity now with the assurance of Jane's future joy._

 _As you can tell dear Charlotte, my patience has not increased at all. I have been home only a few days and yet already have all these complaints. Bingley and his party arrived as expected at Netherfield the day before yesterday and with their arrival the chaos has only grown. I eagerly look forward to seeing you again and hope you realise that I quite rely on your return to Hertfordshire for Jane's wedding. What with your friendship and Mr Collins's relation to us, I believe he can scarcely avoid it even if he might wish to._

 _I do hope that you and the babe are well and that life at Hunsford is proving bearable. Though I have informed no others apart from Jane of your condition, I am attempting to embroider some little items for the child. Intimately acquainted as you are with my skills with a needle, I am sure you can imagine how well that is going. Lady Catherine would despair._  
 _With all my best wishes for your health and happiness,_  
 _Elizabeth Bennet_

Charlotte finished reading and ran a finger gently over her friend's familiar signature. Though her sister's stay had been extended, Charlotte sorely missed Lizzy's company and was glad that she would indeed soon be back in Hertfordshire for Jane's wedding. It had been decided that as Mr and Mrs Collins would have to travel to Meryton anyway, it would only make sense for Maria to stay with them until then so that they could all make the journey together.

Welcome as it was, Elizabeth's letter was soon pushed from Charlotte's mind by the bustle of her day. In her spare time, she meditated on the great joy which seeing her dearest friend well settled with Mr Darcy would bring and looked forward to promoting the match when she was in Hertfordshire, but she did not anticipate that anything of significance would take place before then. On the same day, however, a letter from Longbourn arrived for Mr Collins from his cousin Bennet.

 _Dear Mr Collins,  
_ _I am writing to you to beg your advice on a spiritual matter, since being a man of the cloth you seemed the best placed of my acquaintance to know the answer. It is rather delicate, but I trust you will exercise the utmost discretion. If, hypothetically, one was aware that an engagement supposedly existed between a couple, two cousins perhaps whose families had planned the union, but one believed that the gentleman was planning to break the arrangement and enter an understanding with a different, unrelated woman, would one be morally obliged to oppose such a match? Further to this, would the answer change if one were to stand to profit financially from the new match? Additionally, would one be obliged to inform the original woman or her family if she were unaware? This just relates to a little conundrum I have been having with some tenants, you understand._

 _On a completely unrelated note, I was hoping you could tell me what you observed of my daughter Elizabeth's interactions with Mr Darcy while she was staying with you. It seems to me that something has changed in the relationship between them, for before I always believed that they disliked each other but now… well, it wouldn't do to speculate._

 _My best wishes for your health and that of your wife. I am much obliged for your assistance,  
_ _Thomas Bennet_

Mr Collins read the letter again and then smiled to himself. Bennet had obviously attempted to be discreet in his inquiries, but Mr Collins was intelligent enough to see through this tale of a tenant matter and deduce that it was Darcy and Cousin Elizabeth who he believed were about to enter into an understanding, breaking the gentleman's engagement to Miss de Bourgh. Congratulating himself for his superior skills of deduction, he considered what to do with this knowledge.

If the couple had become close enough for her father to notice, they were very likely to be soon engaged. An extra push from Lady Catherine trying to interfere would only push them closer together. This would ensure the beneficial connection to Mr Darcy which he desired while Mr Collins would be free of blame as the understanding would be reached far away from him in Hertfordshire. Clearly, the time had come to alert his noble patroness of the threat to her plans.

As he moved to leave the parsonage, Mr Collins caught sight of the maid cleaning in the hallway and another idea came into his head. Smiling a smile that Mr Bennet would be horrified to know brought out the family resemblance between them, he approached the terrified servant and informed her that he required her assistance up at Rosings house.

Only minutes after Mr Collins had revealed his suspicions to Lady Catherine, the serving girl had rushed back to the parsonage and approached Mrs Collins timidly.

'Excuse me, ma'am, only I'm not sure that I should say but…' she trailed off uncertainly, eyes wide. Sensing her genuine nervousness, Charlotte put down the mending that she was working on and gave the girl her full attention.

'Do go on, you have nothing to fear as long as you are honest and tell me what has happened to worry you.' She assured her gently. Taking some comfort from this, the girl began again.

'Well I was up at the great house you see ma'am and I just couldn't help but overhear what the master was telling her ladyship and I know it wasn't right of me to listen but I don't think he should have said what he did and-' Charlotte held up her hand to stop the rambling servant and interrupted her apologies.

'Slow down, I am not angry. Now tell me what was said that did not sit well with you.'

'The master told Lady Catherine that he suspected something between Mr Darcy and Miss Elizabeth ma'am. He said it was rumoured that Mr Darcy intended to defy his responsibility to wed Miss de Bourgh and marry Miss Elizabeth instead. Her ladyship was mighty angry, ma'am, and Mr Collins said he was sure it was all Miss Elizabeth's fault. He said she was reaching above her station and tryin' to beguile Mr Darcy with her country ways. But I don't think Miss Elizabeth would do that, she was always right kind to me ma'am, and she never seemed to like Mr Darcy at all.'

'I see. Thank you for alerting me to this Molly, you did the right thing. Now, do not worry on it anymore. I shall see that it is dealt with.' The young girl bobbed a curtsy and scurried away, relieved that her mistress did not blame her for listening behind doors and sure that she would sort everything. Miss Elizabeth was her friend, she would not see anything bad happen to her.

Charlotte, on the other hand, was equal parts anger and guilt. She was furious at her husband for intruding on her privacy and then sharing what he had learnt with Lady Catherine, but she blamed herself equally for pushing her views of Mr Darcy's actions on her friend where anyone could listen in. Now Lady Catherine was bound to try to prevent the union whereas without her interference Elizabeth and Mr Darcy may have been able to reach an understanding.

Pulling a fresh piece of paper towards her, Charlotte began to scribble furiously. All she could really do now was offer Lizzy some advanced warning of what was to come. It was still early in the day and if sent by express her letter should reach Hertfordshire by the next morning, meaning that Lizzy would have time to prepare for whatever actions Lady Catherine deemed necessary.

Later that day, Mr Collins heard with great satisfaction that his wife had sent an express to Hertfordshire, no doubt warning his cousin to expect Lady Catherine's wrath. He rubbed his hands together gleefully. If his calculations were correct, such motivation would be just the push needed for his wilful cousin and the prideful Mr Darcy to enter into an engagement. After all, neither would take well to Lady Catherine's attempted interference and it would certainly have the opposite effect to that which his noble patroness intended. Then, his clever Charlotte would hold the good graces of Mrs Darcy while he would hold Lady Catherine's favour. How gratifying it would be to see his patience rewarded.

* * *

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	34. Chapter 34

**So I know it's Monday and I specifically said Sunday... sorry. Thanks for the amazing response to the last few chapters. The next few weeks might be a bit of a random uploading schedule because I have exams. I have checked and the next few chapters are all ones that were in my original draft of this story and I'm pretty happy with them, so fingers crossed I wont decide to do anything major when I'm editing them and they'll come out on time. I'm glad so many people enjoyed Mr Bennet interfering and Mr Collins being a bit tactical. For people who were a little uncertain, I don't think that Bennet predicted Collins would actually want Lizzy and Darcy to marry, he just expected Collins to run to Lady Catherine and tell her that her plans were in danger and he had the same idea as Collins that Lady Catherine demanding that they don't marry would push them closer together (also he's a bit of a troublemaker and just wanted to throw Lady C into the mix and see what happens then laugh at everyone).**

 **I mention maids a bit in this chapter but I didn't really know how many servants there would realistically be at Longbourn so I thought I'd lay out what I imagined and you guys can tell me if I'm completely wrong. I assumed that Mrs Hill is the housekeeper and Mr Hill the Butler, then there are three maids (I guessed that rather than a few ladies maids and a few housemaids the Bennets would have maids who both clean the house and help them dress as I think I read somewhere that this is what they did in poorer households), two footmen (the more senior possibly doubling as Mr Bennet's valet), a cook, a scullery maid and possibly also an errand boy (maybe the son of a tenant?) alongside a couple of tenant families farming on the estate.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

That day in Meryton a gathering was to take place to say farewell to the officers, for the regiment was removing to Brighton on the morrow. There had been some talk of its taking place at Longbourn, but Mrs Bennet was quite sure that they could not possibly play host to a party so large while in the midst of Jane's wedding preparations so in the end it was decided that Mrs Phillips would host the occasion instead.

Elizabeth considered walking out to the stream again that morning in the hope of meeting Mr Darcy, but she knew she had already pushed the bounds of propriety to the very limit by interacting with him so freely. Added to this, she was no longer sure that she trusted herself to be around him in private. It would be much better to wait until the evening when the public setting would prevent her tongue from running away with itself. She only hoped that he would not choose to forgo the gathering. His past interactions with the militia had been indifferent at best and he may prefer to remain at Netherfield with his sister.

Mr Darcy did ride out to the stream but was neither surprised nor particularly disheartened to find that Elizabeth was not there. Though he had enjoyed their private meetings immensely, he was liable to become too familiar with her without the presence of others to remind him to exercise propriety. The deprivation of her company would only last until the evening and with Bingley's wedding fast approaching he would continue to be in company with her almost daily. Though her reactions still sometimes left him confused or in doubt, he tentatively anticipated asking for her hand just after the wedding and dared to hope that she might welcome his approach.

At Elizabeth's request, Kitty was only too pleased to help her modify what had been her least favourite evening gown with the addition of some new green ribbons which made it far more becoming. Kitty had a certain talent for such endeavours and rather enjoyed them, so the request was not unusual, but she quickly deduced that her sister's liking for Mr Darcy was rather more a culprit in this case than a simple wish for something different to wear. Of course, Lizzy did not suspect for a second that her younger sister was aware of this motive.

It was also her second from youngest sister who helped her to twist her hair up into a style she had never tried before as one of their maids was too unwell to attend them and the other dedicated the best portion of her time to Jane as Mrs Bennet had instructed. Mrs Bennet still had her own personal maid to see to her dressing, but she could not possibly be spared for how else would the matriarch ensure she constantly proved her superiority to Lady Lucas? Of course, it was out of the question that Mrs Hill could help them to dress for the neighbours could easily find out and think the Bennets too poor to afford proper service, so the rest of her daughters would have to make do. It was Lizzy who always took up so much of the maids' time with her muddy and torn petticoats anyway, so really it was only fair that she was attended to last.

'You had better go and change at once, Kitty.' Lizzy exclaimed when her hair was half done, realising that Kitty had not begun to dress for the evening at all. 'I have used far too much of your time and you have done so wonderfully already. I am sure I can finish my hair alone and then come to assist you.'

'And let you undo all of my hard work with your clumsy fingers?' Kitty teased. 'Do not fret, I do not need to change. I am to remain home tonight.'

'Whatever for?' Lizzy questioned in amazement. Though they had been somewhat distracted by the wedding, the going away of the militia had been lamented as a great tragedy by her two youngest sisters in the past weeks. It seemed strange that Kitty would now forgo their final farewell. Beyond this, she could not recall Kitty ever missing an opportunity to attend a function since her entrance into society.

'Lydia is feeling unwell so cannot attend and I will stay with her. I have no great desire to go anyway. The regiment has been here such a long time that I grow quite weary of dancing with officers.' Kitty replied nonchalantly. Elizabeth could not have been more astonished has her sister sprouted a second head.

'Are you sure?' She asked tentatively.

'Yes, quite sure.' Kitty answered with a smile, turning her sister's head slightly to the side so that she could better see where she was placing a pin. 'Besides, Miss Darcy will not be able to attend and it would seem dreadfully unfair if I were to go when we are almost the same age.'

'Hmmm, I suppose.' Lizzy said. She understood why Miss Darcy could not attend, but country gatherings were very different from those of high society and there would be children far younger present. 'Is Lydia alright? I would expect her to shout the house down if she could not attend a gathering. She must feel very ill indeed to willingly concede.'

'She is fine.' Kitty dismissed, knowing Lydia's illness was merely a cover created by her father so that he did not have to explain why she was forbidden from leaving the house. 'Do stop talking, you are moving your head and making this so much more difficult.'

'Yes, ma'am.' Lizzy grinned but obeyed her orders. She strongly suspected that this marked change in Kitty had something to do with what their father had needed her for the day before, but could not imagine what he had said to bring it about. Still, she was willing to remain in the dark unless her sister chose to confide in her as the result seemed to be positive. She could not remember ever seeing Kitty so confident in herself, choosing to behave more like Jane than Lydia. Or maybe not behaving like any of her sisters. Maybe, for the first time, behaving like herself.

'Lizzy! You look simply wonderful.' Jane exclaimed when her sister approached. She was sitting patiently as her hair was meticulously arranged, though from the complexity of the style the process had clearly gone on for far longer than Lizzy could ever have bared to be still.

'And you more so, as ever, dearest.' Lizzy replied honestly, with no bitterness. Her eldest sister looked an absolute vision in a yellow gown that was covered in embroidered white and gold flowers and matching silk flowers in her hair. She was the very embodiment of spring.

'Oh Lizzy, do not be ridiculous.' Jane told her with the perfect mixture of sincerity and modesty that only she could achieve.

'Though I may sometimes be ridiculous, I assure you that this is not one of those occasions.' Lizzy said, reaching over after the maid moved away and gently pulling a little strand of golden hair free to fall around Jane's face. 'There, now you are completely perfect.'

'Will you be needing anything, Miss Lizzy?' The maid asked as she efficiently tidied up the evidence of her recent work which covered the dresser.

'No, I am quite alright Anna, thank you. Kitty has done a marvellous job of making me presentable, as you can see. I do believe that Mary still requires assistance though. She has only just come above stairs.' Elizabeth replied.

Bobbing a curtsey, the maid left hurriedly to dress the third Bennet sister and somehow still had her ready to leave no less than half an hour before Mrs Bennet was done dressing. By this time Lizzy had already explained to her sisters that Kitty and Lydia would not be attending, but the first that their mother heard of this was clearly when she asked her older daughters of their whereabouts. To have such a wrench to her plans upset Mrs Bennet enough that she let out a high pitched wail, drawing Mr Bennet from his library.

'Good God woman, what is the matter?' He exclaimed though it can be assumed that he already knew exactly what had happened as it was of his own orchestration. Mrs Bennet quickly explained the travesty that had befallen them, for if Kitty could not attend tonight then however was Mr Darcy to be made to fall in love with her?

Scoffing, her husband reminded her that Kitty stayed home by choice, not some travesty, and inquired whether she did not worry for Lydia at all. At this, she did remember to be concerned for her youngest daughter rather than just her plans for Kitty, but she was quickly consoled by the assurance that it was not serious. She made a final plea that if this was the case then Kitty could not be needed at home, but at this time there was nothing to be done. It would take at least half an hour to dress her finely enough to meet Mrs Bennet's standards even if both maids were assisting her. They were already fashionably late thanks to Mrs Bennet having tried several outfits before settling on one and complaining no less than three times that her hair was too tight and must be redone. Any further delay would simply be an insult.

When the abnormally small Bennet party arrived at the gathering, it was met with all the attention that Mrs Bennet could hope for. The officers noted with great disappointment that the two youngest Bennets were not present and mourned the fact that they would have to find girls less pretty and less willing to flirt with. The Netherfield party were also already present and hastened immediately to their side, Mr Bingley drawn to his bride to be like a moth to a flame. Greetings were performed and Mrs Bennet refused to be distracted from her object this time, pouncing on Darcy like a cat does a mouse.

'I am sure you are wondering where my two youngest are, sir.' Mrs Bennet said, leaving Darcy no time to respond before continuing: 'Unfortunately Lydia was taken unwell and sweet Catherine chose to remain behind to comfort her, despite the personal sacrifice of an evening's fine company.'

'It is an admirable trait, to be so willing to care for one's family. One that I am sure Miss Catherine has learnt from her older sisters. I recall well Miss Elizabeth's dedicated care for Miss Bennet when she was unwell at Netherfield.' Mr Darcy deftly deflected the compliment onto Elizabeth who stood close by. He congratulated himself to see her blush.

'Oh, to be sure I have taught all my daughters to care well for one another, but I do think that dear Catherine surpasses all others, so like my precious Jane, of course.' Mrs Bennet insisted. Darcy was thankfully saved from venturing a reply when a cry came up on the other side of the room that some lively music must be had so that they could dance.

'Perhaps you could indulge us with a performance, Miss Elizabeth?' Darcy quickly asked. Lizzy, who was only too glad that for once the demand to dance had come from a stranger rather than her own sisters, acquiesced and let him lead her to the pianoforte before her mother had chance to react. She quickly sifted through the available sheet music to find something appropriate that she recognised and settled for a piece that her fingers knew well.

'Do not imagine that you must stay and watch over me while I play, Mr Darcy. I am sure you are eager to hasten back to my mother's conversation.' She remarked to him with a smirk.

'Indeed I am, but then who would turn your pages? I will sacrifice my own personal wishes to perform this essential task, madam, lest you are forced to pause and bring discordance to the dancers.' He responded with a smirk of his own.

'How very gallant. I am sure your sacrifice will be greatly appreciated.' Lizzy said, surveying the quickly growing group who were dancing. Mr Bingley had led Jane to join them almost as soon as they began, but more surprisingly Mr Hurst had followed him with his wife.

After playing three pieces Elizabeth was replaced at the instrument by Mrs Hurst. She held some hope that Mr Darcy might ask her to dance, for she had not stood up with him since the Netherfield ball when she had believed him the worst of men. However, Mr Bingley quickly came to claim his future sister having relinquished Jane to Mr Hurst and Darcy fell back into the clutches of Mrs Bennet.

Finishing an admittedly very pleasant dance with Mr Bingley, Elizabeth hastened back to her mother and Mr Darcy in the hopes of protecting the gentleman. He had been hit by a stroke of good fortune in the form of Sir William Lucas who had latched onto them almost as soon as Lizzy left and borne the brunt of the conversation, distracting Mrs Bennet enough that Darcy could essentially ignore them although he had no means of escape.

'Miss Elizabeth!' Sir William exclaimed upon her approach. 'Mr Darcy, we have been here before, have we not? I am sure that tonight neither of you is disinclined to dance, and what a fine pair you make.'

'Mr Darcy does not like to dance.' Mrs Bennet was quick to interject, ever worried of the mischief her second eldest might cause.

'Miss Elizabeth?' Darcy questioned, his hand held out, desiring greatly to dance with her but not wishing to betray the extent of this in front of either of their observers.

'Mr Darcy.' She responded with equal indifference, taking his hand and hiding her smile until they were angled away from her mother. 'You are sure it will not besmirch your reputation to dance at a gathering such as this?' She added in a teasing tone when they were out of earshot.

'Who shall ever know?' He played along.

'Hmmm, you are right. I shall be sure to write to my aunt tomorrow so that she can have a notice put in the times. I can imagine the headline already – young eligible bachelor seen dancing in a local gathering. The scandal it will cause.' She answered, her words rather spread out as she was forced to move away from him then closer again by the steps of the dance.

'Scandalous indeed.' He smiled indulgently at her antics. 'How will I prevent such a story from being told?'

'Alas, there is no way to prevent it. You have sealed your fate. Perhaps if you endeavour to dance with every woman here, though, then it will be clear that you show no particular preference and so your actions will be less noteworthy.'

'Every woman here?' Darcy said, looking around at the crowded room with amusement in his eyes. 'That would be rather a challenge.'

'Yes, I suppose it would be. I doubt the music would continue long enough. Very well, I suppose three might do, but mind you have never stood up with them before.' Elizabeth observed, wondering if he would continue to humour her and really seek out three other partners. Too late, she realised that she did not particularly wish him to stand up with other women.

'Three, you say?' He raised an eyebrow and glanced around. 'Very well. I accept your challenge, Miss Elizabeth.' With this, their dance was over and he bent low over her hand with a smirk then strode purposefully away.

Elizabeth was distracted by an officer approaching her to ask for the next and did not see who Darcy had secured to partner him until they took their places. Standing across from the young lieutenant, she attempted to focus on him and not on Darcy standing three couples down across from Jane.

'You, sir, are cheating.' She whispered to him when the dance allowed them to draw close.

'Not at all.' He responded under his breath. 'You did not stipulate that they must be strangers, only that I must never have stood up with them before. I have never had the honour of dancing with Miss Bennet.'

After that dance ended Elizabeth was so surprised to be approached by Mr Hurst that she did not notice Mr Darcy's new partner until almost halfway through the next. Mary, looking somewhat nervous but not unhappy danced opposite him. Though from lack of practice her steps were not as fluid as her sisters, she by no means danced poorly. Their education may have been incomplete in many senses, but none of Mrs Bennet's daughters had been allowed to grow up without learning to dance. Having rarely seen her stand up with anyone before many of the officers had simply assumed that the odd middle Bennet sister simply did not dance, but ladies were more scarce than usual this evening and after seeing her with Mr Darcy more soon applied to her.

With neither of her other sisters present, Elizabeth watched in fascination to see who Mr Darcy would approach for his final choice, moving to sit at the side of the room so that she would not be interrupted from her observation of him by more applications to dance. She narrowed her eyes as he moved towards the corner where her mother and Aunt Phillips stood gossiping, wondering what his intentions could be. As he bowed to them and said something to her mother, she realised and laughed out loud.

Mrs Bennet was incandescently happy in the carriage rattling back towards Longbourn. The honour of being asked to dance with Mr Darcy, which had also been extended to all of her daughters present and no other, could only confirm to her that he had chosen them as his future family.

'I hope you shall not be surprised to soon call Mr Darcy brother, girls, for he hinted very strongly to me that he soon expected to have me for a mother in law.' She told her daughters confidently. They gave her very little notice, believing it just another one of her fanciful imaginings. Poor Mrs Bennet, for on this occasion she had imagined nothing at all. Mr Darcy really had hinted that their families would soon be united. The only case in which Mrs Bennet was mistaken was the identity of the daughter involved.

Elizabeth had spent a further happy half an hour conversing with Darcy after the dancing ceased speaking mostly of Georgiana and the progression of wedding preparations while Mrs Bennet fussed over Bingley and Jane. She paid no notice to her mother now, meditating instead on the look he had given her as he bowed over her hand in farewell. True, he had bowed to both Jane and Mary too, but that look had been only for her.

* * *

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	35. Chapter 35

**Hello!**

 **Thanks for the reviews/follows/favourites. Check out Katzenpfote's review for some info about the servants the Bennet household probably would have been able to afford.**

 **For some reason, I now have a desperate urge to defend Mr Collins - or rather his intelligence. He certainly isn't a nice guy and he's an idiot where romance is concerned, but I would argue that isn't the same thing as him completely lacking intelligence. We know that he must be well educated to have joined the clergy and also that he managed to secure his position with Lady Catherine. While he did achieve this by flattery it must have been pretty well calculated for him to succeed, so I think that when it comes to benefitting himself he must actually be relatively clever.**

 **Anyway, on with the story.** **Enjoy!**

* * *

The next day Lizzy woke rather later than she normally would, feeling somewhat exhausted from the night before as well as the general rush of activity that life at Longbourn had become in her mother's quest to give Jane the perfect wedding. She quickly donned a light walking dress and boots, hoping to slip out unnoticed and find some peace, and possibly a certain gentleman, in her beloved countryside.

'Lizzy! I have been waiting for you to rise, are you walking out this morning?' Jane caught her as she was creeping down the stairs, calling in a hushed voice.

'As you see.' Lizzy replied quietly, gesturing down at her attire. 'So please do not say you have some essential task for me that I must complete now.'

'No, not at all, I merely wished to ask if I could accompany you?'

'Of course, you know your company is always welcome to me. But do not tell me you are trying to escape from planning your own wedding, my dear sister?'

'I couldn't possibly comment. Perhaps I merely wish for some fresh air and a little time in your company. Oh, and a letter has come for you.' Smiling, Elizabeth went to retrieve her mail.

'It is from Charlotte! Why, I only wrote her three days ago. Life must truly be growing dull at Hunsford for her to have responded this quickly. Either that or she wrote this before my letter had arrived, but it is barely one page thick! I do hope that everything is alright. I best check that it is not bad news. Will you wait for me a moment dearest?' Jane replied that of course she would and Lizzy quickly broke the seal, wondering what Charlotte could have to say to her so urgently.

 _Dear Eliza,_  
 _I hope this letter finds you well and I will first assure you that I am in perfect health as I know you must suspect from the rapidity of my response that something untoward has occurred. It has, but it does not concern me so much as it might very soon concern you._

 _What I have to relate pertains to you and to Mr Darcy. As you know Lady Catherine had long desired Mr Darcy's engagement to her daughter, although the gentleman himself has no inclination on that part. I have just found out that, undoubtedly wishing to curry favour, my husband has informed her Ladyship of his suspicions that Mr Darcy favours you and is likely to propose. I do not know exactly what was said, but knowing my husband as I do I am certain that he will have placed the entirety of the blame for this upon you._

 _I have every reason to suspect that he reached this conclusion by listening in on our private conversations while you were staying at Hunsford. I am afraid that I have long suspected he may have overheard at least part of that conversation we had in your room at the parsonage, though I cannot fathom why he has only just chosen to relate his suspicions to Lady Catherine now. My terrible suspicion is that he may have read the most recent letter you sent me and been spurred into action by that._

 _I can only apologise and hope that you will forgive me in time, for if I had not pushed you on the subject then this could never have happened. I do not know how Lady Catherine will attempt to exact her revenge but I hope that this warning can help you to be prepared for whatever may come. I am so sorry._

 _Charlotte Collins_

'Lizzy?' Jane questioned, concerned at the look on her sister's face. 'What does Charlotte say? What is wrong?' Lizzy pondered for a minute longer then shook her head.

'Not here, I shall tell you when we are away from prying ears and eyes.' With that, she took Jane's arm and led her outside where they were less likely to be overheard.

Not wanting to dampen Jane's joy over her engagement while they were in London, she had never shared the details of what Colonel Fitzwilliam had revealed to her while she was in Kent or her subsequent conversation with Charlotte, relying on Aunt Gardiner instead as her confidant. Now, however, she longed to share all with Jane as she always had done in the past. On reaching a secluded grove Lizzy did just that.

'In order for you to fully understand what Charlotte had to tell me I must relate something to you which took place at Hunsford. I must warn you that some of it pertains to your Mr Bingley, although it is little more than you know already.'

'Of course you should tell me, Lizzy.' Jane looked positively alarmed now. 'You know that you can always trust me with anything. Why did you not tell me as soon as you arrived in London?'

'At the time I suppose I did not feel ready to share it with you. I had already related the whole tale to Aunt Gardiner - she dragged it from me that very first afternoon that I arrived in Gracechurch street - and I confess to hardly knowing my own feelings on it. The time we spent in London and further revelations when we returned home allowed me to gain some perspective on it. Partly I worried at how it might hurt you, but for the most part I admit that I did not wish to share the extent of my mistakes with you and risk seeming lesser in your eyes.'

'Lizzy! You must never worry on that. There is nothing you can have done which would reduce my opinion of you, for I know that whatever you believe you have done wrong will have been done with the best of intentions.'

'You are far too good to me Jane, but I shall relate my tale to you and see how you judge me then. As you know, for much of the time I spent in Kent Mr Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam were present. They spent much time in our company, and I confess to having concealed from you quite how often I saw them. I think I mentioned that I met the Colonel sometimes on my morning walks, but in truth it was Mr Darcy who I met inexplicably often.

'I shall not lie to you and say that my behaviour towards him was better than it had been in Hertfordshire, I continued to act on my petty resentment and nonetheless more often than not he came. I could hardly understand why it kept happening even after I explicitly told him my favourite walk so that he might avoid it, and stranger still were the afternoons when he called at the parsonage even though it seemed he had nothing to say. My only conclusion was that he must find Rosings so dull that even my company was an improvement. I know this may seem a strange thing to tell you, but trust me it will become relevant later.

'Anyway, just a few mornings before the gentlemen were due to leave I did meet Colonel Fitzwilliam and what he had to say distressed me somewhat. I now have reason to believe that he thought himself to be doing his cousin a favour and he could not have possibly known at the time that his revelations only served to strengthen my anger against Mr Darcy. The first thing he informed me of was that Mr Darcy had already delayed their leaving, which I thought very strange as he clearly took no pleasure in being there, but the fact that he had control over where the Colonel could go fit very prettily into my picture of him a controlling and domineering.

'In any case, the significance of this was soon put from my mind because the topic turned to Mr Bingley. The short of it is that Colonel wished to prove that his cousin was a good friend. He rather thought that he took care of Mr Bingley and to show me this mentioned a situation – mind he had no proof that the man involved was Bingley as Darcy had mentioned no names, but he was relatively sure – in which Darcy had saved his friend from the inconvenience of a most imprudent marriage. He claimed that there were strong objections against the lady.

'There could be no doubt in my mind that the Colonel was correct, that the friend involved was Bingley and therefore the lady was you. Though I had long suspected Miss Bingley had a part in preventing her brother's return to Netherfield, I had not imagined one of the culprits to be Mr Darcy. You can imagine my fury dearest, I did not try to think on the situation objectively at all. To me, Mr Darcy had engineered the separation for the pure reason that he disdained of us and did not care for the hurt it must bring to all involved.

'I knew then that I could not face him that evening with equanimity, so I feigned a headache like a coward to avoid going to Rosings and hid from him at the parsonage. That evening he tried to call on me, I never found out why, but the servant turned him away. By the morning my anger had calmed a little, though I had foolishly spent the night reading all of the letters that you had sent me from London, convincing myself of the misery Mr Darcy had wrought on you.

'It was then that Charlotte confided her suspicions to me and told me what a fool I had been in all else besides. You remember I told you of what she had said in regards to Mr Wickham, but in truth she spoke of much more besides.

'Do you have no opinion on any of this dearest?' She could not help inquiring, pausing her tale. For this long Jane had listened without interrupting and Lizzy could hardly believe that she had no comment to make.

'What use would it be venturing one now? You have obviously not completed your story and I can hardly venture an opinion of my own when I do not know the truth of the matter, or at the very least the conjecture you have come to.'

Lizzy sighed at this. 'Of course you would be so sensible. Why did you get all of the wisdom and I all of the foolishness? Very well, I shall continue, though I should feel a great deal better if you would rant and rage a little so that I may think more forgivingly on my own temper.

'Charlotte too had found out about Mr Darcy's calling the night before and pointed out to me that it was unlikely that he would be so attentive if our relationship was one of mutual dislike as I had believed. She held the belief that he admired me and though I tried to argue she made her points rather convincingly. Up until this point we had been in the parsonage, but when I attempted to use my morning walk as a means of escape from her logic she insisted upon accompanying me.

'Once out, she insisted on pointing out to me every single way in which my judgement of Mr Darcy had been flawed. She began by observing that it was ridiculous for me to use his initial impression of me as proof of his dislike as following that I had been the only lady outside of his own party who he asked to dance. She surmised, quite correctly I am afraid, that though I accused Mr Darcy of improper pride it was the damage to my own pride that had caused me to take such a strong dislike to him.

'When I revealed to her what I had learnt from Colonel Fitzwilliam she was equally perceptive. She pointed out the fact that mama really had been behaving in a most mercenary manner and that to Mr Darcy, who does not know you as I do, it may not have been possible to recognise the fact that you were truly in love. More importantly, although Mr Darcy should not have interfered so in his friend's affairs it was Mr Bingley who chose to listen to him and a more constant suitor would have returned regardless.

'That matters little now anyway, as by the time of his return to London Darcy had obviously changed his mind. He reunited you with Bingley, after all. I do believe that Mr Bingley has learnt from this as well, as his actions regarding his sister show. From there on the discussion turned to Mr Wickham, the result of which you know.'

'I am glad you think better of Mr Darcy now, for he has never been anything other than polite to me, but I am afraid I cannot see how this can possibly relate to the letter you have just had from Charlotte.'

'Well that is just it, the part of the conversation that we had inside the parsonage where Charlotte told me of her suspicions – she believes Mr Collins overheard. She wrote to say Mr Collins has informed Lady Catherine that it is rumoured we will soon be engaged. Desiring that Mr Darcy marry her own daughter, Lady Catherine is of course furious. Charlotte writes to warn me that she is likely to hold me to blame.'

'But I am sure you do not need to worry so, Lizzy. Lady Catherine may complain all she likes but there is very little she can actually do to you. She has no law binding contract from Mr Darcy and therefore has no standing to demand anything even if you do enter an engagement with him. And besides, even if she did then she would only have a say over him and not you.'

'Lady Catherine? No, I am not worried over that, I am worried over Charlotte!'

'Charlotte?'

'Yes, that she might be in danger!'

'From who Lizzy? I confess that I do not understand you at all.'

'Why from Mr Collins of course! She is in his power and he is misusing her. If he listens in on her conversations then what else might he do, especially if he finds out that she has warned me? All he cares for is the favour of his noble patroness and he will do anything to ensure that he keeps it.'

'It is quite a leap to go from listening at a door to physically harming her! Our cousin is not a violent man Lizzy, I am quite certain of that.'

'How can we know Jane? What assurance do we have?'

'You mean apart from Charlotte's own assurances that she is well? He did stay with us for several weeks and I do not believe he could have hidden a violent nature from us for so long Lizzy. You have said yourself that he is not an intelligent man, he has not the talent to deceive us so.'

'Perhaps, but I did not think Mr Wickham deceptive and just look at how that has turned out. I thought Mr Darcy the worst of men and yet now he seems the best of them. I am no longer sure that I can trust my judgement of people.'

'Lizzy, you have already told me that upon speaking with Charlotte the falsehoods Mr Wickham told soon became clear and that happened before his actions in Meryton were revealed to us. Even then the way he acted towards Mary King was mercenary and the things he shared with you upon such a short acquaintance improper. If you think back on the time you have spent with Mr Collins have you noticed any such irregularities or slips? Do you not think it more likely that already disliking him, you want to believe the worst of him because it fits with your first impression?' Jane pointed out. Chastened, Elizabeth calmed herself with a deep breath and thought over her sister's words.

'You are right dearest, once again I am allowing my dislike of a man to cloud my judgement. I shall postpone my alarm until they return for the wedding and I may observe for myself if anything is amiss.' She said at length.

'I suppose that is the best I may expect.' Jane replied, smiling at Lizzy's obstinacy. 'After all, it is an admirable thing, to want to protect one's friends.' She glanced at her sister, eyebrows raised.

'Jane, what is that look for?

'So, Mr Darcy is the best of men now?' Jane's shock at first hearing of Charlotte's suspicions had quickly been overtaken by her affection for her sister which made any admiration of her seem perfectly natural. Though she had been too caught up in her Mr Bingley to notice much else over the past days, she now recalled that Mr Darcy had seemed to seek her sister out. More than that, Lizzy's absent looks and blushes now began to make sense.

'Jane-' Lizzy began indignantly.

'I am glad that our husbands will be such good friends, for it will ensure that we are often together.' She cut in, giggling.

'Jane!'

'And dear Georgiana will be our true sister.'

'You forget, if Lady Catherine has her say then that will not be the case at all.'

'Oh yes, poor Lady Catherine shall have to grow accustomed to being your aunt. I do hope you do not treat her too harshly Lizzy, for her heart may give out and then Mr Darcy would have a full year of mourning before you could wed.'

'Jane! I did not know you had such wickedness in you. It seems that you have become the impertinent sister and now I must be the serene angel.'

'Are you sure Mr Darcy would not miss your impertinence?'

'Jane!' But Lizzy could not help joining in her sister's laughter. Relieved at having finally unburdened herself to Jane, she could not help but continue and had soon shared every detail of her interactions with and growing feelings towards Mr Darcy.

Put much at ease from at least having shared all of her worries with Jane and indulging her sister's unexpectedly mischievous humour, she satisfied herself by writing a long response to Charlotte in which she repeatedly assured her friend that she did not hold her to blame at all and thanked her for the warning. With little else to do, she gritted her teeth against her mother's incessant complaining and assisted as far as she could with the planning for the wedding, wondering when and how Lady Catherine might seek to prevent her and Mr Darcy from growing any closer.

* * *

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	36. Chapter 36

**Hi!**

 **I believe people have been looking forward to this chapter so I hope it satisfies expectations. I didn't want it to draw too heavily from P &P and be entirely unoriginal but there are definite references to the original which I'm sure you'll notice. To some of you Jane might seem overly OOC in this chapter but this is how I see her. She is an older sister and I find it hard to imagine her being totally passive in the face of insult to her family.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Sunday passed with no sign of Lady Catherine's wrath coming down upon them but rather than calming Elizabeth, this only served to agitate her further. She had thought the great lady foolish and impulsive leading her to hope that her intervention would merely consist of shouted insults that could be easily ignored, but she had the power and influence to do untold harm if she set her mind to it.

The unease must have been clear on her face for when their parties met after the church service finished Mr Darcy asked repeatedly after her health. Her assurances that she was well were contradicted by her obvious distraction and worry, leading the gentleman to eventually inquire whether he had done something to offend her. This was sufficient to shake her from her worries long enough to show that he was not the cause of her perturbation, though when his group departed for Netherfield her concerns returned in full force.

Jane, being the only person who knew the cause of her anxiety, soothed her with assurances that there was no cause for such alarm. Perhaps Lady Catherine had recognised that it would be wrong to try and force her nephew into a marriage she desired when it would not bring him happiness and she would leave them in peace. Finding her sister's words less than convincing, Elizabeth tore up the letter she had written for Charlotte the day before and threw the pieces into the fire. Jane may call her overly cautious, but if there was a chance that Mr Collins would read the letter and find out Charlotte had warned her then it was not worth taking.

She was on tenterhooks for the rest of the day, losing twice to her father at chess and completely ignoring Lydia's request that she pass the potatoes at dinner until her sister resorted to prodding her arm to get her attention. When sleep alluded her that night she attempted to read but found she could not concentrate on the words. It was very late when she finally fell into a restless slumber, dreaming of strange catastrophes that were somehow all caused by Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

On Monday Bingley was forced to call upon the Bennets by himself as some unavoidable business had come up for Darcy, the Hursts had no inclination to make the journey and Georgiana found herself too fatigued to visit that day if her brother was not to go. He did not mourn the absence of the rest of his party at all, though, when he found himself herded out into the gardens with his beautiful betrothed.

Mary was sent with them as a chaperone for the sake of propriety but she ignored them entirely and upon finding a comfortable bench promptly sat and began to read. The couple, already several strides ahead and completely absorbed in one another, did not notice that she was no longer with them and continued on, though neither even considered breaking the rules of propriety despite their solitude.

They strolled pleasantly together for some time, each basking in the other's company, until they reached a point in their walk where they strayed close to Longbourn's driveway and witnessed a fine carriage race by. The colour drained from Jane's face when she caught a glimpse of the grand personage within. Although she had never set eyes on the great lady before, there could be no doubt in her mind as to who this was or what her purpose at Longbourn could be.

'Forgive me sir, but I am needed back at the house.' She told Mr Bingley hurriedly, desperate to return to her sister and give whatever protection she was able to.

'Of course, but please tell me what is the matter. Can I not assist you?' He answered with concern.

'No, sir, I must beg that you do not try to. Please wait for me by the hermitage, I will return as promptly as I am able to.' With that she left his side, not waiting for a further response which might delay her return.

A moment later upon hearing someone race by Mary looked up from her book but seeing no one about thought that she must have just imagined it. For a moment she thought that she had seen a flash of Jane's blue petticoat disappearing through the trees, but she knew that her eyes must have been deceiving her as her staid eldest sister would surely never run. Unaware of Mary's musings, Jane continued to hurry back the way she had come at a strictly unladylike pace, cursing the fact that in their distraction they had strayed so far from the house.

Thankfully, just as she emerged from the woods onto Longbourn's front lawn she saw Lady Catherine and Elizabeth coming out. Immediately she slowed her pace and began to walk towards them with as much dignity as she could muster. Surprise flashed across Lizzy's face as she noticed her sister approaching, but she hid it quickly.

'Your ladyship, may I present my eldest sister, Miss Jane Bennet. Jane, Lady Catherine de Bourgh.' Elizabeth made the necessary introductions when her sister joined them on the gravel walk a few minutes later. Jane offered a dainty curtsey in greeting, no signs of her recent dash through the woods showing in her serene countenance.

'Miss Bennet, your sister and I are taking a turn in that pretty little wilderness over there. Your company will not be necessary.' Lady Catherine stated dismissively.

'It is excellent weather indeed to be out of doors your ladyship. It is no trouble at all for me to accompany you.' Jane answered as sweetly as she could, determined not to leave Lizzy's side.

With her full energy focused on coming to the defence of her sister, she did not notice that they were walking in the direction of the hermitage where she had asked Mr Bingley to wait for her. Seemingly startled by the lack of deference shown to her by another Bennet sister, Lady Catherine paused to examine the eldest Miss Bennet for a moment before replying again.

'I have heard, Miss Bennet, that you are on the verge of being most advantageously married. Surely there are wedding preparations that you must attend to _inside_.' The noble lady emphasised her words as though speaking to someone of greatly deficient intelligence, gesturing away from them as though Jane was an irritating fly she might swat.

'Oh, but I insist on accompanying you, your ladyship. I could not let my own selfish matters take precedence over your noble condescension in calling upon us.' Jane's eyes glinted with a rare show of determination. She had no doubt that if Lady Catherine sought privacy with Lizzy then it was to berate her mercilessly and was the last thing that she should be given.

'Miss Bennet, I am clearly telling you to _go indoors_. You will not mock me by feigning ignorance or misunderstanding. You take my meaning perfectly well. I had hoped to find you reasonable, but I see that you are every bit as stubborn and intolerable as your sister is.' Lady Catherine accused in anger.

Her words, however, did not have their intended effect on Jane who was unruffled and replied with all of her younger sister's impertinence, 'Thank you, madam, I consider that to be high praise.'

'Insolent girl!' Her combatant cried back. 'What I have to say is of no concern to you. It pertains only to your sister and my nephew.'

'With respect madam, you can have nothing to say to my sister which you cannot say in front of me. If it pertains only to Elizabeth and your nephew then the discussion can only be between them and there is no place for either of us. As your nephew is _not_ present and you _are_ , that is clearly not the case, so _my_ presence can be no barrier to anything you may wish to say.'

'You refuse to leave then? Very well, my character has long been celebrated for its sincerity and frankness, I shall have no qualms in addressing the both of you. You can be at no loss, Miss Elizabeth, to understand the reason for my journey hither. Your sister's response to my demands has only confirmed it.' Elizabeth, set almost entirely at ease now for having witnessed her sister's determined protection, was able to respond with complete lightness.

'Well I have heard you say that you wish to speak regarding only myself and your nephew madam, but cannot suppose what it is you wish to address. Perhaps you bring some message for me, but Mr Darcy is not three miles away at Netherfield so it is hardly likely that you have journeyed all this way to bring me tidings of _him_. I must, therefore, imagine that you wish to speak to me of another of your nephews, and as the only other to whom I am acquainted is Colonel Fitzwilliam then I must assume it is him, though I know not why.'

Having heard the discourteous way in which her ladyship addressed all of her closest family, Elizabeth did not feel a shred of guilt at her slight dishonesty. She was in truth completely aware of the lady's purpose in coming thanks to Charlotte's letter of warning, but she certainly did not wish to put her dear friend in danger of the wrath of Lady Catherine or Mr Collins by revealing this and she was also unwilling to in any way confirm the report her ladyship had heard by confessing her knowledge of it.

'Do you think I am a fool, Miss Elizabeth, that you might deceive me by speaking so? It is not the Colonel but Mr Darcy who I come to speak of, as you well know! Your insincerity, madam, appals me, but you shall not find me so dishonest. I shall not stoop to entertaining your charade of ignorance. I know not what arts and allurements you and your sister have employed to catch your suitors, but I demand that you cease them immediately.' Lady Catherine cried, self-righteous anger at the grievous misconduct of these presumptuous Bennet girls that she was certain she was the victim of fuelling her rage.

'I must certainly pity you, your ladyship, that you feel so ill-used, for whatever report you have heard has obviously alarmed you greatly, but I can speak only on what I know. My so-called charade of ignorance is no charade at all. I am aware only that two weeks ago my sister entered into an honest engagement with a gentleman to whom we have been acquainted since late last year and if this is the suitor you refer to then I may assure you that no arts and allurements were employed whatsoever.' Elizabeth replied coolly, any slight towards Jane appearing a thousand times worse in her eyes than a slight towards herself.

'That may be so,' Lady Catherine conceded, having little real concern over that affair as it had no impact on her own plans, 'but what of my nephew? What of your actions towards him?'

'On that regard I do not think myself fit to speak, your ladyship, for if I _had_ sought to use my arts and allurements on Mr Darcy then I should certainly be the last person to confess it. But I believe for an assessment of my good conduct you may safely apply to my sister as she has been party to most, if not the whole, of my interactions with him. Or better yet you may apply to what you yourself have witnessed, for I believe I have only met your nephew on three or four occasions since we both departed from your company at Rosings and you observed us together often enough there.' Furious at the great lady's presumption in having spoken to her so, Elizabeth could not resist this glib response, although she knew it would only antagonise her ladyship to give further insult.

'I am not naïve enough to believe that you would act towards him in the company of his family as you might act towards him in the private moments you have no doubt engineered with him, madam! In fact, you spoke so little to each other while in my presence as to make me suspect that you were deliberately avoiding it in order to prevent my attention from being drawn to you, and so to evade the possibility of your schemes being worked out-'

'Well, I may settle your concerns on that front madam! My sister has always been entirely proper in her behaviour towards Mr Darcy, whether or not some relation of his has been present.' Jane interrupted, losing patience with Lady Catherine's wild accusations.

'Oh, but I know better than to trust your testimonial, Miss Bennet. I know what a sister's partiality may account for, and more that you are likely her accomplice. But it shall not be! Mr Darcy is engaged to _my_ daughter, what say you to that?'

'Only this; that I have heard already that Mr Darcy is intended for Miss de Bourgh, and if such a claim is true then you can hardly expect your nephew to pay his addresses to me! You must think very ill of him indeed if you would accuse him of refusing to honour such an agreement.' Elizabeth challenged.

'Do not take such a tone with me! It is true that the engagement between them is of a peculiar kind, agreed by their mothers from their infancy, but my nephew will come to see the wisdom of the match. He cannot be ignorant to the wishes of his family and friends, to what he would stand to lose by entering into matrimony with one such as you. Every ruling of society, every law of nature, every better feeling is against it.'

'With one such as me, madam? If these numerous faults you seem to find with me are so severe then I am certain you can be in no fear of how your nephew will choose to behave towards me. If, however, he is not deterred then I feel no obligation to act as _you_ demand that I do when his own actions prove your concerns mean nothing to him. Therefore, I am determined to do only what I believe will bring myself and my family the best chances of happiness, completely irrespective of your selfish concerns. Now if you will excuse me, you have wasted enough of my time with meaningless petitions and platitudes.'

'Just you wait, young lady, I have more to say to you!' She cried as Elizabeth tried to turn away. Growing tired of this seemingly endless tirade, Jane intervened once again.

'I think you have said quite enough Lady Catherine. You have made your disdain for us and for our family perfectly clear, though we have done you no harm. I believe you have accused us of every possible evil for no crime more than having met Mr Darcy. Surely you can have nothing further to add. Whatever your nephew may choose to do is his own concern, but I would thank you to berate my sister for it no longer!'

'No harm indeed? Yet you insist on being unreasonable! Very well. I shall know how to act. Do not think, madam, that your ambitions will ever be gratified. I take no leave of you, either of you. Your behaviour disgusts me. I shall see myself back to my carriage.'

With that the great lady swept away, leaving Jane and Elizabeth to stare after her. Each was equally incredulous at her tenacity in attempting to meddle in affairs that were not her own. The silence stretched on in her wake until Elizabeth turned to her sister, knowing how such conflict must have pained her gentle character.

'Thank you for everything you said Jane, but you did not have to come to my defence. I could have faced her alone.'

'I know, Lizzy. You _could_ face everything alone. But that does not mean that you have to, or that you should.' Jane replied sincerely, squeezing her sister's hand in her own.

At that moment a twig snapped behind them and they both turned to see Mr Bingley looking rather guilty. If his face was anything to go by, he had witnessed at least part of what had just happened.

'Charles!' Jane exclaimed, his first name slipping out in her shock at seeing him there. She was suddenly painfully aware of every brazen word she had just uttered and she flushed in shame. 'If you wish to be released from our engagement sir then I understand perfectly. I will not hold it against you.' Unable to meet his eyes, she stared resolutely at his feet as she waited for his reply.

'Release you? Good God woman, I would marry you right now if it were possible!' He cried incredulously, then looked almost surprised at the vehemence of his response. 'That is, if you still wish to have me?' He added more gently, finally managing to catch her eyes. On hearing the certainty in his voice Jane positively beamed back at him and for a moment they were so caught up in each other that they quite forgot Lizzy was present at all.

'I should go back to the house and … tell Mama that Lady Catherine is gone.' She murmured, feeling like an intruder on a private moment. Shocked back to reality by the sound of her sister's voice, Jane was quick to assure Bingley that she too desired nothing more than their union, though she could not help but apologise again as she did so.

'Of course, I wish for nothing more. But really, sir, I must apologise for what you witnessed. I am afraid my comportment was not that of a lady at all. I would never wish for my country ways to bring you embarrassment. Caroline-'

'Caroline has not been ladylike in her behaviour towards you at all! She could not possibly imagine caring for another besides herself enough to defend them as you have defended your sister. Your care for your family, that is one of the things that first made me love you. I would wish to believe that my own sisters would defend me such. You could never be an embarrassment to me, for your manners far surpass those of even the highest circles of the ton.

'Where was Lady Catherine's ladylike behaviour? Where were her manners as she intruded on your home, insulted your family and presumed to meddle in affairs not her own? You were entirely justified in everything you said to her and I will not hear another word on the matter.'

Silent tears of happiness flowed down Jane's face to hear the one she loved defending her so and the most she could offer him in response was to take his hand in her own. Their actions from then on were perhaps not so proper as they had been before Lady Catherine's intrusion, but really, mere weeks away from marriage who could begrudge them a stolen kiss or two in the woods?

Around this they found time to dwell on the great happiness that must come when Darcy and Elizabeth finally resolved to marry, for to both of them this now seemed an absolute certainty and they could only imagine the joy it would bring to become one family. Neither of them was built for anger or misery and as such they quickly forgot Lady Catherine's interference entirely.

* * *

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	37. Chapter 37

**Hi!**

 **Sorry for the lateness of this update, it's been a hectic week for me. I will do my best to get the next chapter up more quickly. Thanks for reviewing/following/favouriting.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Darcy was working his way through an important piece of correspondence with his steward when he was disturbed by a sudden commotion coming from the entrance hall. Emerging from the study which Bingley had granted him full use of whenever he should need it, he was just in time to see his aunt forcing her way through the door.

'You will grant me entrance. Do you not know who I am?' She shouted at the startled looking butler, who of course did not have any idea whatsoever who she was.

Darcy was struck by the rather amusing resemblance to the way Caroline Bingley had forced her way into Darcy house not long ago, but he suspected that his aunt would not see the humour in such an observation. She would certainly take umbrage at being compared to a lady whose wealth came from trade, though whether she would actually recognise the fault in barging into someone else's home was another matter entirely.

Darcy allowed himself a moment to contemplate this humorous parallel before he gave in to duty and intervened. Waving away the poor butler to signal that he would handle it, he came forward to greet the dragon.

'Aunt Catherine, to what do I owe this pleasure?' He asked, steering his aunt into the library where at least they would not have witnesses if she intended to continue to make a scene.

In the whole of their acquaintance he did not think he had seen Mr or Mrs Hurst step into a library even once, so he felt rather secure in the belief that they would not be overheard here. Unfortunately, he failed to factor in the presence of his sister, who was not at all averse to reading and had been rather inspired by the friendship of Miss Elizabeth Bennet to broaden the scope of her literary knowledge.

When she heard her brother enter Georgiana's first instinct was to emerge from behind the shelf where she had been perusing titles to greet him, but she paused in shock when she heard her aunt's voice. She could not at all account for the sudden presence of Lady Catherine, who very rarely left her home in Kent, in the Netherfield library of all places. Curiosity along with a persisting childhood fear of her aunt got the better of her and she retreated further back into the stacks which hid her from view, silently berating herself all the while for her own wickedness.

'It will not do Darcy, I will not have it. Never have I been so insulted in my life as I have been today!' Lady Catherine stormed, displeasure oozing from her every word. Certain that he had heard her say this exact phrase at least five times before, Darcy was not unduly concerned by his aunt's melodramatics and he took the time to pour them each a glass of brandy before troubling himself to respond.

'I am afraid I am not at the liberty of understanding you, Aunt. Would you care to elaborate on what troubles you?' His delayed reaction only seemed to further infuriate his aunt, who refused the proffered brandy glass and waved her hands around wildly.

'Elizabeth Bennet is what troubles me! That conniving country chit and her insufferable sister are what troubles me! Two days ago I received a most alarming report that the eldest Miss Bennet's advantageous engagement to your friend was to lead to your own engagement to her younger sister. I knew at once that I must take action and I hastened to have such a report disproved, but those contriving, unscrupulous girls blatantly refused to deny it! I know that this must be a scandalous falsehood that they have circulated to attempt to force your hand, but I demand that you are wed to Anne at once so that we might put an end to these foolish rumours!' Upon managing to get this out Lady Catherine seemed to compose herself somewhat and finally took the brandy, though she gulped it down in a manner distinctly unladylike.

Darcy, who had stiffened upon hearing Elizabeth's name, attempted to calm his temper and set his thoughts in order before giving his aunt an answer. Hearing this tirade, he could hardly imagine what his aunt must have said to Jane Bennet to render her anything less than perfectly polite, never mind the accusations she must have levelled at Elizabeth.

'Do I understand correctly that you have come from Longbourn where you asked Miss Elizabeth and her sister to disavow this rumour you have heard, Aunt?'

'Yes, yes, is that not what I have just said?'

'And you were dissatisfied with the response you received?'

'Completely and utterly dissatisfied! I was met with ill manners from the start with Miss Bennet blatantly refusing to allow me a private audience with her sister and Miss Elizabeth feigning ignorance to any knowledge of the report I had heard. She dared to suggest that it was not my place to question her affairs and even when I was finally able to ascertain that you were not already engaged to that upstart, she absolutely refused to assure me that she would never enter into such an engagement.'

'And what, madam, gave you the right to ask such a thing of Miss Elizabeth?' Darcy questioned, shaking with supressed fury which he could no longer hide. 'What indication did I ever give you that I would welcome such interference in my own private affairs? Pray tell me, why, if it is what I so desire, should I not ask for Miss Elizabeth Bennet's hand in marriage?'

'Because you are engaged to my daughter!' Lady Catherine exclaimed, horrified that her nephew too seemed to have completely deserted the bounds of reason.

'No, I am not!' He roared. 'I have never indicated to you that I have any intention of fulfilling your foolish desire for me to wed Anne, but if I have not made myself clear enough already then I shall say it for you now. I will not marry your daughter.'

'Fitzwilliam Darcy, do you have no honour, no respect for your duty to your family?'

'Family duty? What about my duty to provide an heir to uphold the Darcy name? You know full well that Anne's health would not allow her to bear me a child.'

'Heirs can be begotten in other ways! What does it matter as long as the child is yours?'

'I shall pretend that you did not say that, Aunt.' Darcy spat, disgusted at her insinuation. 'I am a gentleman, by marrying a gentleman's daughter I would not be betraying my honour or duty to my family in any way. I will not be swayed on this matter. There is nothing you could say that would make me marry Anne.'

As these words came out of his mouth Lady Catherine took on an almost predatory look and she all but snarled at him: 'Oh but there is, there most certainly is. I had hoped to find you more reasonable than this, but your refusal to listen is forcing my hand. So listen to me now, you will marry my daughter, nephew, or else I shall ruin your dear sister's reputation. You will not be able to protect her when the whole world knows of what happened at Ramsgate! I wonder if your Miss Bennet will be so set on having you when your good name is torn to shreds. She will certainly not be so eager to befriend your sweet little Georgiana when she finds out what she really is.'

Darcy froze in horror. How could Lady Catherine possibly know about Ramsgate? It had certainly not been an event he and the Colonel had discussed with extended family. They had simply explained away their own concern and the changes in Georgiana as the aftermath of a bout of ill health.

'I do not know what you mean, Aunt.' He said stiffly.

'Do not feign ignorance, nephew. I have proof and I am not afraid to use it if you continue to dishonour your family so!'

Confident that his sister's reputation was not something Darcy would ever risk, Lady Catherine stormed from the room, leaving him to contemplate what she had said. Surely she would not dare to expose Georgiana to ruin when it would impact on herself as well. Was that a price she would be willing to pay to punish him if he went against her? He hardly knew. In a sudden fit of rage, he turned and threw his brandy glass into the fireplace where it smashed into a thousand pieces. What a cruel trick of fate, to find that Elizabeth may have grown to care for him but be prevented from pursuing her if he wished to keep Georgiana safe.

Out of sight behind the bookshelves, Georgiana sank to the floor with tears streaming down her face. She muffled a sob into her handkerchief, wondering if she would ever be free of the mistake she had made. It was too much to think that her dear brother would lose his chance at happiness because of her and she remained huddled there crying for long after Lady Catherine and Mr Darcy had gone.

Dinner that evening was a subdued affair, with both Darcy siblings lost in silent internal debates. Lady Catherine, at least, had left directly after her quarrel with her nephew had ended and so was not there to cause further aggravation, but even Bingley remained unusually quiet. When he had returned from Longbourn that afternoon he had immediately sought his friend out to inform him of his aunt's intrusion there, but Darcy had replied only that he already knew and refused to say any more on the subject. Bingley was tactful enough not to push him further, but he could sense that there was something deeply wrong.

For her part, Georgiana thought that her brother must loathe her for her foolish mistakes which were now coming back to haunt him. She knew after everything that had happened he would never choose to go against their aunt when it could endanger her reputation and she felt certain that this was all her fault. She could not have been a worse sister to poor Fitzwilliam had she tried.

Darcy, of course, saw it in an entirely different manner. Once again he was reminded of how he had failed to protect his sister, for he knew that Ramsgate was entirely his fault. There could be no doubt in his mind that Georgiana should never know of their aunt's threats lest they break her entirely, and he did not for a second suspect that she had actually witnessed the argument. He thought only of how the situation might be resolved and so remained completely unaware of his sister's distress.

* * *

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2018**


	38. Chapter 38

**Hi!  
** **Sorry for the very long wait for this update. Things are back on track now so hopefully I will get the remaining chapters out at a reasonable rate. Thanks to everyone who has kept supporting this story while I haven't been updating it.  
** **Enjoy!**

* * *

Darcy slept fitfully, plagued by thoughts of Lady Catherine's threats. In waking moments his mind raced to figure out how she could possibly know about Ramsgate and what proof she could possibly have of what had taken place. He was certain that Wickham must somehow be to blame but could not fathom how.

Berating himself for being foolish enough to think he could take Wickham on, he fell into a stupor of self-loathing. It was laughable, really, how he had lauded himself for the public service he was doing by removing the threat of his old playmate when all along his true motivation had been to selfishly protect and win the heart of Miss Elizabeth Bennet. He could see now that this was just an extension of his delusion surrounding his own true character and the current predicament must be some sort of divine punishment for failing to be a better man.

Dawn had hardly broken when he gave up all hope of finding some peace and rose once more. His desperate mind could find no other solution than to bow to his aunt's demands and though he regretted almost every aspect of the business, not least the pain it might cause Elizabeth to find he had abandoned her, he could not bring himself to regret the sacrifice if it would ensure Georgiana's security and comfort. With a steady hand he penned a letter to Bingley, quickly explaining that urgent business drew him away and he could not anticipate when he might be able to return.

This done, he turned to the far harder task of explaining his sudden absence to his sister without bringing her too much distress. The truth of what must soon come could not long be concealed from her and once she learned of it she would soon suspect what exactly was forcing his hand. He only hoped to put off that realisation for as long as possible and leaving her in Hertfordshire under Bingley's care seemed the best way to do this.

 _Dearest Georgiana,_

 _Be not alarmed upon finding me departed this morning that anything of too serious a nature has occurred. Urgent business calls me to Rosings and I do not yet know when, or if, I will be able to return to Netherfield. I would ask that you remain as a guest of Bingley until my business has been resolved and convey my sincerest regrets to all of our Hertfordshire acquaintances who I have not been able to take my leave of. In particular, I would be grateful if you were to express to Miss Elizabeth Bennet my sorrow and the hope that she will find it in herself to forgive me for my actions. I will write again at my earliest convenience to let you know of my safe arrival._

 _Your loving brother,_

 _Fitzwilliam Darcy_

Sighing, he read over what he had written. He doubted that his words would prevent her from worrying for there was something about his phrasing that seemed overly morose and he could not think of any sweet nothings that might make his tone seem less severe. The heartfelt apology he asked her to pass to Elizabeth was befitting of a far greater offence than a simple hasty departure, something that Georgiana would no doubt find odd, but he could not bring himself to take it out. When Elizabeth heard of his engagement to Anne he hoped that she might remember and know that he regretted it even if she could not understand why.

The sun had now climbed well over the horizon and he rang for his valet, desperate to leave as soon as possible. If his man was startled that he demanded to be dressed in travelling clothes and have his horse prepared for immediate departure then he did not show it, complying promptly with every order. He hardly blinked when the letters for Bingley and Miss Georgiana were thrust upon him and did not raise an eyebrow when he was instructed to follow his master to Rosings in a few days' time. If he was curious as to the purpose and urgency of his master's journey, he knew better than to show it.

Soon after this Mr Darcy departed, riding at such speed that the stable hand feared somewhat for his horse. It may have been the commotion of his leaving that roused Georgiana, who had also been prevented from peaceful sleep by the happenings of the previous afternoon. Though she had fared somewhat better than her brother, her exhaustion was not great enough to persevere over her racing mind any longer and the faint light in her room told her it was no longer an unreasonable time to rise.

Her heart was filled with despair at the seemingly hopeless situation facing them. She knew that her aunt was spiteful enough to follow through on her threats if Fitzwilliam did not comply with her wishes, despite the damage it would cause to the good name of all those related to her. But she also felt certain that Elizabeth could be made to accept her brother, bring him happiness and joy, even if the Darcy name had been besmirched by the exposure of her foolish mistake. If she could only make him see that his happiness was more important by far to her than her reputation. She could not let her brother pay the price for her mistake any more than he had to.

Steeling her nerves, she went to his room to tell him she knew of Lady Catherine's plans and beg him not to give in to her. Though it would not be easy, she was sure that she could make him see sense, see that his love for Elizabeth was more important than anything else and that she could happily weather the damage to her reputation for his sake. However, when she reached his room it was empty despite the early hour. She rushed down the stairs still in her nightclothes and asked a startled footman where he was, hoping desperately that he had merely risen early to ride. It was with dismay that she read the missive he had left for her, knowing immediately what his intentions must be.

In a fit of blind panic she tore back to her room, clutching all the while for some idea that could prevent her brother from marrying Anne and sealing himself into a miserable life for her sake. Her riding clothes called to her tantalisingly, daring her to make a mad dash across the country on horseback and sweep in to save the day as the hero of one of her novels might, but a more sensible part of her pushed this image away. She was a fine horsewoman but if she was to turn up at Rosings having ridden fifty miles alone and unchaperoned Lady Catherine would have even more material to damage her reputation and Fitzwilliam would never believe her of sound enough mind to heed her advice.

In a dark and bitter moment she thought how much easier everything would be if she had died at Ramsgate. Fitzwilliam could not sacrifice himself for her if she was dead. This thought was quickly swallowed up by the same sensible part as before. She knew that her death would not bring her brother any joy at all. Clearly she had been reading too much Shakespeare if she was thinking of such macabre solutions.

Trying to harness her sensible part, she pushed away any other melodramatic solutions to consider her actual options. She could try to persuade Bingley to escort her to Kent, but with his wedding drawing so close it was unlikely that he would agree to leave the neighbourhood, particularly if he risked angering Darcy at the same time. No, the solution must be here, in Hertfordshire.

She could write to him, but a letter was too easily ignored. She, more than ten years his junior, little more than a child in his eyes, was too easily ignored. However, she began to feel a swell of hope. She might be easy for her brother to ignore, but Elizabeth Bennet was clearly not.

* * *

 **I did desperately want to have Georgiana ride off to Rosings on her own to try and save the day, but I couldn't get past how s** **candalous and OOC that would be so eventually I had to scrap that version and rework this section of the story. I think what happens now fits the story much better, but I may later post the alternative few chapters as a separate story when I have time if anyone thinks they would make a fun read.**

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2019**


	39. Chapter 39

**Hi!**

 **Thankfully I managed to get this chapter up without as long a wait as the last one. I wasn't sure whether I should post what Darcy does next or what Georgiana does next first, but this seemed to make the most sense in my head. I will hopefully be getting back towards a more weekly updating schedule now. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, followed or favourited this story.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

As Georgiana dressed for the day, she continued to consider the situation. If she could only make Elizabeth understand what had happened and beg her to realise that Fitzwilliam should not be punished for her mistakes then they might still have a chance to be happy together. She had to find some way to tell her brother that she would rather be ruined and have him happy than preserve her reputation but condemn him to a life of misery. Surely Elizabeth would support her.

The only trouble was that Elizabeth was not here. Looking out over the park, she suddenly recalled her brother telling her how Elizabeth had walked to Netherfield when Jane fell ill. If Elizabeth could walk such a distance then she could too. After all, she had grown up on a country estate and the countryside of Derbyshire was far less forgiving than that between Netherfield and Longbourn.

Georgiana rushed to don her most hardy walking clothes and attempted to slip out of the house unnoticed – a feat which was accomplished with surprising ease when her brother's watchful eye was not present. Praying that Lizzy's habit of walking in the mornings still continued despite Jane's wedding preparations and that she would be able to find her in this unfamiliar landscape, she set off with determination. Her sense of direction had always been good and she could trace in her mind exactly the route which they had followed in the carriage. By foot she could go directly across the fields, cutting off the corners of the journey.

The physical challenge was a welcome relief to Georgiana's confused mind, finally stopping her swirling fears as she concentrated on the task at hand. She found it easy to appreciate why Elizabeth walked out so often. It was with a burst of pride that after walking quite some way she recognised that she was drawing close to Longbourn.

Here, however, she faced a dilemma. Should she call at the house, bringing the attention of the whole family, or attempt to search for Elizabeth on one of her favourite walks? Pausing for a moment to think, she decided that it must still be too early to call at the house. Most of the occupants had probably not even risen yet and there was no way to explain why she had walked there alone at such an early hour.

Wondering where Lizzy was most likely to go, she suddenly remembered a conversation from a few days ago where they had spoken of Oakham mount. Elizabeth had spoken of the view from the top in depth and confided that it was her favourite place to go to sort out her thoughts. Would it be worth the tiring detour of climbing to the peak in the hope that Elizabeth was there? Aunt Catherine had visited Longbourn as well the day before and so she very likely did have many thoughts to sort.

This decided it. Georgiana would climb the hill and at least if Lizzy was not there then the view could console her disappointment somewhat. Skirting around Longbourn, she followed the track that Lizzy had pointed out to her, feeling fairly confident that no one at the house would be looking out this early to see her pass. Her friend's thorough description of the walk and the general flatness of the landscape made the path from there on clear, as even in the cover of the trees the direction of the rising land was obvious.

The final section of ascent was taxing, but Georgiana reminded herself that it was nothing to most of the hills in her native Derbyshire and pushed on. Finally she approached the crest and all of the fears which her single-minded determination had pushed away came flooding back. She hardly knew if she would be more relieved to find that Elizabeth was there or that she wasn't. She decided in the end that it would be best if she was. Her nerve might crumble if she had to go any further to find her.

She emerged from the treeline and almost gasped at the sight before her. It seemed as though the whole of Hertfordshire could be seen from here, the lone high point in a sea of gently rolling fields. There, perched at the edge on a large boulder, was Elizabeth Bennet, looking as much a part of the landscape as any bird or bee. She seemed almost entirely contented with the breeze gently playing through her hair and the sun shining down to warm her.

Georgiana felt guilty that she would soon ruin the older woman's peace. Added to that, she was entirely tongue tied, at a loss for how to actually say the things she wished too. How could she ever have believed herself brave enough for this? She lingered too long trying to build up her courage and Lizzy stiffened as if sensing her nervous presence. Lizzy turned slowly, uncertain, but relaxed and smiled when she saw who it was.

'Good morning Georgiana, how did you come to be here?' Lizzy asked, sounding somewhat bemused and looking around for Mr Darcy who she assumed must be escorting his sister.

After some consideration when she woke she had decided to go to her favourite viewpoint rather than walking to the place where she sometimes met Mr Darcy as she needed to properly consider her feelings towards him after Lady Catherine's surprise visit. She had not expected to encounter anyone there and even now wondered if Georgiana was a spectre of her imagination. Perhaps after her restless night she had fallen asleep again and this was not actually happening.

'I walked.' Georgiana replied quite honestly, unable for all that she tried to return Elizabeth's smile.

'All the way from Netherfield?' Elizabeth questioned in surprise, still expecting Mr Darcy to appear from somewhere. When he did not she narrowed her eyes and began to look alarmed. 'Alone?' Georgiana could only nod her head, feeling tears well up in her eyes.

Truly alarmed now, Elizabeth stood and pulled her into an embrace, murmuring soft reassurances. 'Hush now. We will go to Longbourn. It is not at all far. Jane will be there and we can send for your brother.'

For a while Georgiana could not find the words to interrupt, but eventually her voice returned to her control.

'No, no. We cannot go to Longbourn. What I have to say is only to you.' She managed to stammer out desperately.

'Georgiana-' Elizabeth tried to protest, but the younger woman had found her words now and knew she must say them before they left her again.

'You must listen to me. You have no idea how important it is. I know that my aunt came to Longbourn yesterday and that she was abominably rude to you. You may guess that she went on to Netherfield afterwards and tried to plead the same case with my brother. When he flat out refused to agree to marry Anne and would not deny his intentions towards you, she threatened him most terribly. Neither of them knew I could hear what was being said, but she told him that he must marry Anne immediately or she would ruin my reputation with what she knows of me and – and of Mr Wickham!' She gasped out feeling a weight of burden lift of her as she shared this, despite knowing that she had hardly begun her tale yet.

Lizzy stared at her in shock for some time, attempting to process everything that had been implied in this relatively short speech, before finally finding her tongue again.

'Mr Wickham?' She asked, pulling Georgiana back to the rock where she had been sitting and taking her hand, hoping that her expression was one of encouragement.

'Yes. I know you have some knowledge of him, of bad things that he has done, but this is the true reason why my brother and cousin despise him so wholly. You see, up until recently I knew little of my brother's true dealings with Mr Wickham and only remembered him as a childhood friend.

'Last summer I travelled to Ramsgate with my companion, not Mrs Annesley but a woman named Mrs Younge. He was there, waiting for me. My brother tells me that it was not my fault, that Mrs Younge was in league with him and I could never have known not to trust her when he had placed me in her care, but I know that I was just a foolish girl. I was – they persuaded me to believe that I was – in love with him and I… I agreed to elope with him.'

Elizabeth gasped at this, but Georgiana's voice had become strangely steady, her tears finally abating.

'No elopement took place. Fitzwilliam had planned to surprise me with a visit and when he arrived I had to tell him everything. The only thing that did not sit easy with me in the whole plot was that I should conceal it from him. Surely if I was in love then he would be overjoyed for me.

'My brother knew, of course, that Wickham had never loved me. He only wanted my fortune of thirty thousand pounds. He had no qualms about saying as much to my face when he realised that the scheme had failed. I do not know how much money my brother gave him to keep him quiet, but the scandal was averted so I suspect it must have been a great deal.

'It was my brother and our cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, who dealt with Wickham and foolishly I hoped that this was as far as my sorry tale would go, but now somehow it seems that Aunt Catherine has learnt of it. She claims to have proof and threatens to expose me if Fitzwilliam does not marry Cousin Anne. You have met my aunt. Would you take the gamble that her threats are empty?'

'No, no I most certainly would not.' Lizzy replied solemnly, considering all that she had heard. 'But do not worry Georgiana, I will go to Netherfield at once and tell your brother he must not take the risk. I was foolish to speak to Lady Catherine as I did. I should simply have said what she wished to hear. It is I who have caused all this trouble for you with my foolish, headstrong words.'

Georgiana looked absolutely horrified at Elizabeth's conclusions and rushed to contradict her.

'No, no! That is the last thing I want. You must stop him from agreeing to marry Anne, not persuade him to do it. I cannot let my brother suffer his whole life for my mistakes. If anyone must suffer as a consequence of my actions then let it be me. You know that none of this is Fitzwilliam's fault. As long as you will not be discouraged by the scandal then why should any of this matter? If you will agree to marry him anyway then let Aunt Catherine say what she will.'

'Georgiana, I will not allow you to blame yourself for what Wickham did to you. It is clear that he is an expert in manipulating people. I was completely deceived by him simply because he smiled at me and flattered my vanity and I am a full five years older than you. He was a complete stranger to me and yet I chose to trust him. Your reasons for believing his lies to you were not nearly so shallow as mine.' Elizabeth told the younger girl gently.

'But you did not agree to an elopement with him!' Georgiana cried, irritated that Elizabeth seemed more concerned with consoling her than helping with the matter at hand.

'Perhaps not, but who can say what I might have agreed to if chance had not taken me away from Hertfordshire. Besides, he was hardly motivated to really pursue me for I have no fortune to offer him. Aside from that, you forget that there is no understanding between your brother and myself. I do not wish to see him forced into marriage with your cousin against his will, but there is no guarantee that if he is not wed to your cousin he will offer for me, or that I will accept him, although whether I do or not is certainly no indication of my feelings towards you.'

At Georgiana's continuing look of disheartenment, Elizabeth pulled her into another embrace. 'Come now, we probably need not fret at all. It is likely that your brother will find an entirely different solution and the crisis will be averted without any scandal or unwilling marriage.'

'But you don't understand Lizzy, he rode away in the early hours of the morning and I am sure he is going to marry Anne so that Aunt Catherine does not expose me! He will be miserable and it will be entirely my fault.'

Lizzy could only hold her tighter, assuring her that it would not come to pass and all was going to be well. She tried to ignore the stab of pain in her chest as she thought that in truth it was very likely that Mr Darcy would marry his cousin. If she had the choice to marry or see Jane ruined she knew it would not really be a choice at all.

* * *

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2019**


	40. Chapter 40

**Hi!**

 **Sorry again for the delay in updating, I seem to have a talent for underestimating how busy I am going to be and on top of that I can't seem to stop changing my mind about how these next few chapters should play out. Thanks for sticking with me and for your lovely reviews.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

As she held the younger woman, Lizzy's quick mind raced backwards and forwards, trying desperately to fathom the situation they were in and how it might be resolved agreeably. She could understand perfectly the distress it caused Georgiana to think that her brother would give in to such blackmail; even from an entirely practical standpoint once Lady Catherine realised how effective it was at ensuring Darcy's compliance there was no telling where she would stop. That she had already gone to such lengths spoke volumes about the great lady's mental stability or lack thereof. The thought of Darcy marrying also brought a tightness to Elizabeth's chest that she would rather not contemplate for now.

However, she could appreciate why he was unwilling to risk Georgiana's reputation and saw no easy way to eliminate this threat. Without knowledge of how exactly Lady Catherine intended to prove the near-elopement, it was impossible to counter her. At present it seemed the best Elizabeth could do in the circumstances was to attempt to protect and console Georgiana, praying that Mr Darcy would find some solution that did not involve his union to his cousin.

'Come, Georgiana, let me take you back to Netherfield, or to Longbourn at least. You are distressed and must rest before you make yourself unwell. I am sure your brother would hate to see you like this, indeed it is exactly what he is trying to prevent. When you have rested and eaten something you will see that it is not so hopeless.' Elizabeth coaxed gently.

'No!' Georgiana replied, visibly attempting to calm herself and wondering how to persuade Elizabeth that something must be done. 'Look at the letter he left me, Lizzy.' She said, drawing it from her reticule. 'He clearly did not believe that he would be returning soon and the manner of his apology to you shows that he intends to do something that he thinks will hurt you. The only conclusion can be that he intends to marry Anne and believes you will think he was leading you on. We must persuade him that he does not have to go through with it!'

'But what would you have me do? Even if you are right in thinking your brother would be inclined to listen to me, that is no use when he is not here.' Lizzy pointed out, hating to disappoint the faith her young friend seemed to place in her but at a loss as to how she could possibly help the situation.

'Which is exactly why we must go to him!' Georgiana told her eagerly, finally seeing that she was gaining ground. 'We must travel to London. Fitzwilliam will most likely break his journey there, so if we are quick enough we may catch him and if not we may also enlist the help of my family to prevent his marriage. They will not wish to see my reputation damaged, but I cannot believe they will support a union between Fitzwilliam and Anne either. They will certainly not allow Lady Catherine to sully the name of our whole family just to get her way.'

'Georgiana!' Elizabeth cried in dismay. 'I cannot possibly take you to London. It would only create further scandal. What would Mr Bingley think if I spirited you away from his protection? And my own father when he found I had absconded with you?'

'It is hardly so surprising that I would wish to return to my own family when Fitzwilliam has been called away suddenly by a mysterious emergency. I had hardly intended for us simply to disappear without a trace.' Georgiana replied calmly, a steely glint behind her eyes. 'However, if you will not come I am determined to go alone, reputation be damned!'

Elizabeth came close to dismissing this threat and insisting that Georgiana should not be any further involved in this matter, but a niggling doubt held her back. If she was certain that Jane was about to commit to something that would bring her great misery then there was little that could stop her from racing to attempt to save her dearest sister. If Georgiana's resolve to save her brother was even half so strong as this then she supposed she should just be thankful that the younger girl had come to her at all rather than immediately following him alone.

'I see you will not be dissuaded. However, please remain here and allow me to go alone.' Lizzy pleaded. 'This is not your responsibility, and how would I face your brother if something were to happen to you?'

'Do not be absurd, Lizzy! How on earth would you explain your travelling alone to confront my brother? That would be scandalous. It is far more seemly that we should go together, indeed, why would I not ask an older friend to escort me back to my family?' Georgiana pointed out.

'I suppose.' Elizabeth admitted unwillingly, knowing she could not argue with this but hoping to keep Georgiana as far out of this as possible. 'But I do not know how our journey will be achieved. We certainly cannot go on horseback and I do not know how we are to persuade my father that it is necessary for us to have the carriage without revealing the truth of the situation to him.' She said, adding more lightly: 'Even I would not attempt to walk to London.'

'I may have already prepared for that.' Georgiana admitted somewhat guiltily, drawing another letter from her reticule. It was addressed to Mr Bennet, and Elizabeth looked in amazement at the handwriting on this letter compared to the one Darcy had left for Georgiana.

'Should I be concerned at your proficiency in forging your brother's handwriting?' She asked.

'Never mind that now,' Georgiana dismissed quickly, 'the letter asks your father to ensure I am escorted to stay with my Aunt and Uncle. From there I can easily send a servant to find out if Fitzwilliam is at Darcy house and if so go to confront him. If he is not then I will have no choice but to appeal to my Aunt for her help. She despises Lady Catherine so I hope she would support me.'

'I suppose it may work.' Elizabeth conceded hesitantly. 'But will my father not be suspicious that your brother asks us to escort you to town rather than leaving the task to Bingley or a trusted servant?'

'Usually I would travel with Mrs Annesly, but since she did not accompany us to Hertfordshire that is not an obstacle. The letter explains that it would be a comfort to me to travel with a friend at this distressing time and it would not do to draw Bingley away so close to his wedding. It is true that if Fitzwilliam really wanted me to travel to London then the company of my maid and his valet would be enough, but I do not think that your father will find the request too strange to believe. We have all grown rather close in the past month.' Georgiana reasoned.

'Very well, it is not a terrible plan.' Elizabeth allowed. 'But we best return to Longbourn now. I believe that my father will be breaking his fast soon and time is of the essence if we are hoping to catch your brother in London. As it is, we will have to hope that he has decided to stop there for quite some time. If he merely changes his horse then he will likely be away from London before we are even able to depart from here and we will travel far slower in the carriage than he will on horseback.' She warned, worried that Georgiana's hopes would be raised only to be dashed again if they did not find Darcy in London.

'Yes, yes! We must away as soon as possible. If I know Fitzwilliam then he will wish to meet with his attorney immediately to have a marriage contract drawn up, so I am hopeful that he will be delayed in town for quite some time. Thank you, Lizzy. I knew that you would not let this happen.' Georgiana enthused. Despite the older woman's cautioning she was convinced that the whole situation could be resolved satisfactorily.

The two ladies made quick time back to Longbourn and entered to find Jane and Mr Bennet at breakfast, though the rest of the family had not yet risen. The occupants were surprised to see Georgiana, but Jane's natural politeness and Mr Bennet's inclination to be amused by the foibles of his neighbours meant that they received her with relative graciousness.

'Good morning, Miss Darcy, to what do we owe the pleasure of your company?' Mr Bennet asked.

'Good morning, sir. I am afraid it is rather unfortunate tidings which bring me here.' Georgiana replied, her eyes wide and innocent as ever. 'My brother was drawn away in the early hours of the morning by an urgent family matter. He left instruction that I should follow later, but did not wish to inconvenience Mr Bingley so close to the wedding. I have a letter for you.'

She handed the forged missive to Mr Bennet and he scanned it quickly. Though he may have found the request strange and suspected that he was not receiving the full story, he had no reason to distrust Miss Darcy and could see no harm in ensuring she reached her family in town so he was not inclined to refuse.

'How did you get here, Georgiana?' Jane asked while her father was preoccupied, looking around in concern. 'You cannot have walked, surely?'

When Georgiana replied that she had, Jane's concern grew further. Though she knew it was not an insurmountable distance and would hardly blink if Lizzy walked it, the idea of the shy young woman out alone in the unfamiliar countryside disturbed her.

'I see no issue with escorting you to London, Miss Darcy, and assume that my Lizzy has already offered to accompany you too. But I am also curious as to why you walked here. Surely Mr Bingley would have escorted you and your belongings?' Mr Bennet remarked. Elizabeth shifted nervously, but Georgiana had expected such inquiries and was prepared.

'I believe it was my brother's intention that Mr Bingley would escort me here, sir, but I confess I could not bear to wait for him to rise when I do not know what emergency has drawn him away. I do not need any of my belongings from Netherfield; I have plenty in London already and my possessions can be sent on later if necessary, though I very much hope we will be able to return in time for the wedding.' She explained, her very real worry over the situation lending credence to her performance.

'Oh, you poor thing!' Jane exclaimed, assuming it must be distress at whatever family news had been received that had driven her to such lengths. 'I should accompany you too.'

'No!' Elizabeth exclaimed a little too vehemently, before catching herself and explaining her outburst to her sister in a hushed tone. 'I would not have Georgiana worry that she is keeping you from your wedding preparations while she is also so concerned about her family. I promise that I will satisfy her every whim, but you must remain here. Think how Mama would react if you left now!' Jane frowned at this but did not argue.

'Will you join us to break your fast, Miss Darcy?' Mr Bennet asked, ignoring his daughters.

'I should like to be going as soon as possible…' Georgiana said uncertainly, looking at Elizabeth.

'Well, I intend to eat before we depart. Your brother would certainly not be impressed to find we had allowed you to travel on an empty stomach.' Elizabeth announced, taking a seat.

'Yes, indeed.' Mr Bennet agreed. 'And then Lizzy and I must pack some belongings if we are to stay the night with the Gardiners, while you must write to Mr Bingley so that he knows you have departed safely. I am sure he will be quite distressed to wake and find you gone when your brother has entrusted you to his care.'

Georgiana had no choice but to bow to the instructions of her host though she feared that every second could be the difference between saving her brother from a terrible fate. In the end she was glad that she had, for once she began to eat she found herself famished from her vigorous exercise and her outlook became considerably more positive once she was full.

Thankfully to all involved, they were able to conduct their remaining tasks and depart Longbourn promptly before Mrs Bennet could rise and question their activity. Mr Bennet felt rather like a naughty schoolboy creeping away. He was almost certain by now from the countenance of his daughter and young charge that he was at least partly being deceived, but he trusted his Lizzy and so found the whole escape quite exciting. Still, he could not resist the chance to rile them a little with awkward questions about how they met that morning and allowed himself a little internal chuckle at their joint sigh of relief when he closed his eyes and feigned sleep.

* * *

© **Isabelle Lowe, 2019**


End file.
